Sennacherib’s Campaign on Lachish: What We Have Learned from Archaeology

In 701 B.C.E Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, invaded Judah and brought to an end the revolt against Assyria led by Hezekiah, the king of Judah. Sennacherib turned first to Lachish, conquered and destroyed it, and from there he sent an expeditionary force to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not attacked, and Hezekiah surrendered and became an Assyrian vassal. The events at Lachish and Jerusalem are recorded in several sources: the Biblical text, the Assyrian records, ample archaeological evidence as well as the detailed Assyrian stone reliefs depicting the conquest of Lachish. These sources combine to present us with a unique picture of a watershed event in the history of Judah, and possibly shed light on why Lachish and Jerusalem were treated by the Assyrians in a different manner than other cities in the region. This was part of the Biblical Bad Boys DVD.