Among the cities of ancient Judah, Lachish was second only to Jerusalem in importance. Once a principal Canaanite, and later Israelite center, Lachish sits on a major Tel (mound) 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Jerusalem.
See the recording of our Zoom tour of Lachish below ↓
Today, Tel Lachish is undergoing massive reconstruction work. A visitors’ center is being built, paths paved, maps, signs and illustrations telling the story put in place. These efforts might seem a bit exaggerated given that what you actually see on site are mostly broken walls.
So what is so important about Lachish?
In the 12th and 13th centuries BC, Lachish was a large, prosperous Canaanite city before being destroyed by fire while under Egyptian control.
During the United Monarchy of David and Solomon, Lachish was settled by the Israelites. Little is known about Lachish at this time except that it was unfortified. It may have been destroyed by Pharaoh Sheshonk, otherwise known as the biblical King Shishak (about 925 BC).
Eventually, Lachish was fortified and became a royal Judean city...
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