Lachish
לָכִישׁ‎
لاخيش
Etymology: Named after Lachish
Lachish is located in Ashkelon region of Israel
Lachish
Lachish
Coordinates: 31°33′42″N 34°50′34″E / 31.56167°N 34.84278°E / 31.56167; 34.84278
CountryIsrael
DistrictSouthern
CouncilLakhish
AffiliationMoshavim Movement
Founded1955
Founded byNahal
Population
 (2022)[1]
819

Lakhish (Hebrew: לָכִישׁ) is a moshav in the northern Negev in south-central Israel. Located south-east of Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 819.[1]

The moshav was named after Lachish, the ancient town of the same name, which is now an archaeological tell, just north of the moshav.

History

Ancient Lachish

Modern Lakhish is located just beneath Tel Lachish, a tell (archaeological mound) that was once the site of an ancient biblical city sharing the same name. This location has seen habitation since the Neolithic, with numerous remnants discovered dating back to the Bronze Age, when the city found mention in various ancient Egyptian texts.[2][3]

In the Iron Age, Lachish transformed into a fortified city of great significance within the Kingdom of Judah, ranking second only to the capital, Jerusalem. As such, the city was mentioned multiple times in the Hebrew Bible. The city gained international attention due to the unveiling of large reliefs discovered at Sennacherib's palace in Nineveh. These reliefs vividly portray the siege and conquest of Lachish by the Assyrian army.[2][4] Both historical records and archaeological findings provide insight into the lives of the ancient Jewish inhabitants of Lachish, revealing their involvement in cultivating grapevines as a means of sustenance, a practice that continues in the present day.[4]

Today, Tel Lachish is an Israeli National Park.

The modern moshav

The moshav was founded as a Nahal settlement in 1955 on the land of the depopulated Palestinian village of al-Qubayba.[5]

Economy

The economy of Lakhish is based on the cultivation and sale of grapes. In 2006, the moshav built a large reservoir with a capacity of 1.25 million cubic meters to irrigate its 6,000 dunams of vineyards.[6]

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b King, Philip J. (August 2005). "Why Lachish Matters". Biblical Archaeology Review. 31 (4). Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  3. ^ Israel Eph'Al, The City Besieged: Siege and Its Manifestations in the Ancient Near East, Brill, 2009, ISBN 9789004174108
  4. ^ a b Schaalje, Jacqueline. "Lachish". The Jewish Magazine. Archaeology in Israel.
  5. ^ Khalidi, W. (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 221. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
  6. ^ Agriculture from KKL-JNF Reservoirs Jewish National Fund
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