Atomic Bible

A fortified city in Judah

Lachish

Named in 22 verses across 7 books, first in Joshua 10:3.

לָכִישׁLachish

The name means “who walks, or exists, of himself.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

About Lachish Written by AI

Lachish was a significant fortified city located in the Shephelah region of Judah (Joshua 15:39). It was one of the Amorite cities that formed an alliance against Joshua and the Israelites, but it was captured and its king was defeated (Joshua 10; 12:11). Later, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, fortified Lachish as part of his defense strategy (2Ch.11.9). During the reign of King Amaziah, Lachish served as a refuge for the king when he fled from a conspiracy in Jerusalem (2Ki.14.19; 2Ch.25.27). In the time of King Hezekiah, the Assyrian king Sennacherib captured Lachish and used it as a base to send his officials to threaten Jerusalem (2Ki.18.14, 17; 19:8; 2Ch.32.9; Isaiah 36:2; 37:8). The city was one of the last fortified cities in Judah to fall to the Babylonians during the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 34:7). After the Babylonian exile, Lachish was resettled by the people of Judah (Nehemiah 11:30). The prophet Micah also mentioned Lachish, urging the city to give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:13).

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

Impregnable, a royal Canaanitish city in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Palestine (Josh. 10:3, 5; 12:11). It was taken and destroyed by the Israelites (Josh. 10:31-33). It afterwards became, under Rehoboam, one of the strongest fortresses of Judah (2 Chr. 10:9). It was assaulted and probably taken by Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:14, 17; 19:8; Isa. 36:2). An account of this siege is given on some slabs found in the chambers of the palace of Koyunjik, and now in the British Museum. The inscription has been deciphered as follows:, “Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment before the city of Lachish: I gave permission for its slaughter.” (See NINEVEH.)

Lachish has been identified with Tell-el-Hesy, where a cuneiform tablet has been found, containing a letter supposed to be from Amenophis at Amarna in reply to one of the Amarna tablets sent by Zimrida from Lachish. This letter is from the chief of Atim (=Etam, 1 Chr. 4:32) to the chief of Lachish, in which the writer expresses great alarm at the approach of marauders from the Hebron hills. “They have entered the land,” he says, “to lay waste...strong is he who has come down. He lays waste.” This letter shows that “the communication by tablets in cuneiform script was not only usual in writing to Egypt, but in the internal correspondence of the country. The letter, though not so important in some ways as the Moabite stone and the Siloam text, is one of the most valuable discoveries ever made in Palestine” (Conder’s Tell Amarna Tablets, p. 134).

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Excavations at Lachish are still going on, and among other discoveries is that of an iron blast-furnace, with slag and ashes, which is supposed to have existed B.C. 1500. If the theories of experts are correct, the use of the hot-air blast instead of cold air (an improvement in iron manufacture patented by Neilson in 1828) was known fifteen hundred years before Christ. (See FURNACE.)

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

31.565, 34.847 See it on a map

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names it

  1. Joshua 10:3

    Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

  2. Joshua 10:5

    So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

  3. Joshua 10:23

    So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

  4. Joshua 10:31

    And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.

  5. Joshua 10:32

    And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.

  6. Joshua 10:33

    At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.

  7. Joshua 10:34

    So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and fought against it.

  8. Joshua 10:35

    That day they captured Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish.

  9. Joshua 12:11

    the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

  10. Joshua 15:39

    Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

  11. 2 Kings 14:19

    And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.

  12. 2 Kings 18:14

    So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

  13. 2 Kings 18:17

    Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

  14. 2 Kings 19:8

    When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

  15. 2 Chronicles 11:9

    Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

  16. 2 Chronicles 25:27

    From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.

  17. 2 Chronicles 32:9

    Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem:

  18. Nehemiah 11:30

    Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

  19. Isaiah 36:2

    And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

  20. Isaiah 37:8

    When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

  21. Jeremiah 34:7

    as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.

  22. Micah 1:13

    Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.