Lachish was the second most important city in the kingdom of Judah after Jerusalem. It was the batteground for two major events in the First Temple period.
The first was its conquest by the Assyrian King Sennacherib in 701 BC. This event is significant because the Bible, archeology, and other historical texts confirm the same story.
Following his victory at Lachish, Sennacherib sent emissaries to Jerusalem demanding surrender, but King Hezekiah called on God for his mercy and protection. Isaiah then prophesized that God would deliver Israel. That night, an angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 Assyrians. Jerusalem was saved, and the fall of the Assyrian empire had begun.
The second major event was the Babylonian conquest by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, which led to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the end of the Kingdom of Judah. This began the exile of the Jews and 70 years of Babylonian captivity.Read more