Restoring the Great Gate at Lachish - The BAS Library
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Home > Magazines > BAR > March/April 1988

Restoring the Great Gate at Lachish

BAR’s Archaeological Preservation Fund makes substantial contribution

By David Ussishkin

The largest and most impressive city gateway in ancient Israel is being restored. It stands at the entrance to the ruins of the great Judean city of Lachish—a mighty reminder of past glory. In fact, it is really several gateways, one piled on top of the other. To untangle them, we must first untangle their history. The earliest gateway at Lachish dates to the beginning of the Judean monarchy. After King Solomon died in about 928 B.C., the united kingdom of Israel split in two—the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the […]

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Footnotes

1.

The prime candidates are Rehoboam (928–911 B.C.), Asa (908–861 B.C.) or Jehoshophat (870–846 B.C.).

2.

See David Ussishkin, “Answers at Lachish,” BAR 05:06; and “Defensive Judean Counter-Ramp Found at Lachish in 1983 Season,” BAR 10:02.

3.

See Hershel Shanks, “Destruction of Judean Fortress Portrayed in Dramatic Eighth-Century B.C. Pictures,” BAR 10:02.

4.

See David Ussishkin, “Lachish—Key to the Israelite Conquest of Canaan?” BAR 13:01).

5.

See Oded Borowski, “Yadin Presents New Interpretation of the Famous Lachish Letters,” BAR 10:02; and Rodney Wright, “‘Lachish and Azekah Were the Only Fortified Cities of Judah that Remained’ (Jeremiah 34:7),” BAR 08:06.