Welcome to the City Gate at Lachisch.
The entrance to the fortified city
from the time of the Kings of Judah
was via an impressive gateway enclosure
consisting of an outer and inner gatehouse.
The gate at Tel Lachish is the largest one
in Israel dating to the First Temple period.
It was discovered in 2016 and fully uncovered in 2018.
In between was an open, paved plaza.
The gateway was the beating heart of the city-
the scene of commerce, judgment and punishment,
and cultic activities. The prophets spoke in the gateways,
kings sat, and elders and judges
gathered to hear the latest news.
The gate had a primary military function,
and guards were posted here,
and the doors were locked at night.
The iron works stand out along the hillside
depicting the great battles fought here.
This row of chairs was very impressive.
The back of the chairs showed
how long each King reigned.
We know the story of Sennacherib's conquest
of Tel Lachish in 701 BC from the archaeological record
as well as the Bible.
It was also chronicled in wall reliefs
in the conqueror's palace in Ninevah.
We were the only people here on the day we visited.
A couple came as we were leaving.
This is off the path of normal visitors to Israel,
but worth a stop.
A Canaanite Temple was discovered in Feb. 2020 at Lachish
and was one of the biggest discoveries in Israel in 2020.
When they found the city gate a few years ago,
they found many cult symbols
and perhaps some of the desecration
that was part of Hezekiah's rampage
against the false gods.
He saw evil on the way and prepared for it,
but He trusted God. He got ready and He trusted.
When it went from bad to worse- he still trusted God.
It is hard to take in everything
of the implications of discoveries at Lachish,
but that revelation might be the biggest story-
trust God no matter what.
