Lachish

Lachish was a significant fortified city located in the Shephelah region of Judah (Joshua 15:39). It was one of the Amorite cities that formed an alliance against Joshua and the Israelites, but it was captured and its king was defeated (Joshua 10; 12:11). Later, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, fortified Lachish as part of his defense strategy (2Ch.11.9). During the reign of King Amaziah, Lachish served as a refuge for the king when he fled from a conspiracy in Jerusalem (2Ki.14.19; 2Ch.25.27). In the time of King Hezekiah, the Assyrian king Sennacherib captured Lachish and used it as a base to send his officials to threaten Jerusalem (2Ki.18.14, 17; 19:8; 2Ch.32.9; Isaiah 36:2; 37:8). The city was one of the last fortified cities in Judah to fall to the Babylonians during the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 34:7). After the Babylonian exile, Lachish was resettled by the people of Judah (Nehemiah 11:30). The prophet Micah also mentioned Lachish, urging the city to give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:13).