The Lachish reliefs give us a better understanding of the biblical account of Sennacherib’s attack on Ancient Israel. His dominion over Judah set the trend of subservience to the empires of Mesopotamia that culminated with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE. The reliefs also aided archaeologists in identifying a large mound of earth adjacent to the walls of Lakhish as a siege ramp, the largest example of its kind that has been found to date. In addition, Lakhish Relief 5 depicts the deportation of the inhabitants of Lakhish and contains the first extra-biblical mention of the term “Judahites.”
Learn more about these inscriptions in an educational film created in partnership with Megalim: The City of David Institute for Jerusalem Studies.
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