Tel Lakhish

Tel Lachish, known in Arabic as Tell ed-Duweir, is the site of an ancient Near Eastern city, now an archaeological site and an Israeli national park. The Palestinian village of Qobebet Ibn ‘Awwad was also formerly located near the Tel.Lachish is located in the Shephelah region of Israel between Mount Hebron and the Mediterranean coast. It is first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha/Lakiša. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites captured and destroyed Lachish for joining the league against the Gibeonites. The territory was later assigned to the tribe of Judah and became part of the Kingdom of Israel.

Of the cities in the ancient Kingdom of Judah, Lachish was second in importance only to Jerusalem. One of the Lachish letters warns of the impending Babylonian destruction.