Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out–Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.
Jeremish 34:6-7
We continued our journey west, emerging from the hill country to the shephelah, the low foothills. This region is characterized by low, rolling hills and wide valleys. The Sorek valley (mentioned last time) opened up as we crossed the limestone line. Sitting near the border is the ancient site of Beth Shemesh. It overlooks the Sorek as the valley heads west towards the coast, passing the Philistine city of Ekron.
We turned south, stopping at Azekah, which overlooks the Elah Valley where David fought Goliath.
We headed further south to ancient Lachish. This was the end of the so-called “diagonal road” connecting the cities mentioned so far. It’s a minor trough in the hills, providing a natural highway. Although not well known and not mentioned often in the Bible, Lachish was a strategic point. By controlling Lachish, ancient Israel cemented their control of the Shephelah. The Assyrians and Babylonians both besieged and conquered the city, the former leaving the siege ramp behind for people to still see today.
The city was entered by a ramp leaning against the wall with gates at the bottom and top. As people approached the city, the wall would be on their right. This was done on purpose. If attackers were coming up, most would have been right handed. This meant their swords were in their right hands and their shields were in their left. With the wall on the right, it was awkward to block the projectiles of the defenders.
The top offers a good view of the area, including Mareshah to the north, our last stop in the Shephelah that we would visit the next day. Mareshah is also located along the diagonal road. This site is best known for its caves. Ancient people dug in the soft stone, either mining out the chalk or making underground caverns with uses including raising pigeons, cellars, cisterns, and more. The Greeks and Romans built here, too, calling the city Eleutheropolis. An amphitheater still stands from that time period.
