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The siege

Related Images

  • Fig 1: The siege - Detail of a sketch - From [Art, history and literature illustrations](https://www.worldcat.org/title/art-history-and-literature-illustrations/oclc/878211383&referer=brief_results)
  • Fig 2: Arrowheads found in Lachish – British Museum – [132142](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1956-1016-22)
  • Fig 3: Slingshots found in Lachish – British Museum - [132127](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1956-1016-7)

War is terrifying, and that is what we see in this fragment. Depicted in gruesome detail are the siege and destruction of Lachish, an ancient city in southern Israel. It is believed that the relief reflects the actual city. It might even be that we are witnessing the scene from the King’s exact point of view on the battlefield.

In Lachish itself we find archaeological proof of the siege. For example a ramp, arrows (Fig. 2), armour, and slings (Fig. 3 ) used by the Assyrians. All this was found in a layer of the archaeological site that ended in a great fire. All this provides archaeological proof of the events we see on this relief.See: R.D. Barnett, “The Siege of Lachish, “ Israel Exploration Journal 8 (1958): 161-164; and about the perspective of the king see Ussishkin, “Lachish”, 195; about the archaeology of the site, see Barnett, “Lachish”, 161-162.