Lachish relief (copy) depicting the Assyrian siege and conquest of the town of Lachish in...

The siege and capture of the town of Lachish, one of the fortress towns protecting the approaches to Jerusalem, is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (II Kings 18; II Chronicles 32)( MICAH 1:13 ); The event is depicted on the walls of Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh. Later, in 589 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II laid siege to Jerusalem, culminating in the destruction of the city and its temple in 587 BC. This relief provides a realistic depiction of the conquest of Lachish in 701 BCE. It graced the walls of an entire hall in the palace of King Sennacherib at Nineveh, underscoring the significance of this victory from the Assyrian perspective. On the left, the Assyrian soldiers, armed from head to toe, attack the city, aided by a siege ramp and battering ram. Opposite them, the Judahite defenders stand atop the walls, raining arrows, torches, and sling stones down on their attackers. In the center, the Assyrian soldiers impale captives on poles and carry off spoils, while families of Judahite refugees head into exile, their possessions laden on carts. The right side of the relief depicts Sennacherib reviewing the procession of captives and booty. The legend reads: “Sennacherib, King of the World, King of Assyria, sat upon a nemedu-throne and the spoil from Lachish passed in review before him.” Original in The British Museum, London