The Lachish Letters are a series of 21 recovered letters written in Hebrew, using black ink on sherds of pottery. They were found in the destroyed ruins of Lachish. These letters shed a great deal of light on conditions and events in Judah’s fortified outpost of Lachish just before the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar conquered and destroyed Judah and Jerusalem in approximately 587 BC. (This attack should not be confused with the earlier assault and destruction of Lachish by the Assyrians in about 701 BC.)
The defeat at the hands of the Babylonians was prophesied by Habakkuk and Zephaniah, and was recorded the books of Kings, and Chronicles, and in the book of Jeremiah. Archaeological finds and discoveries of other ancient documents have corroborated the Biblical accounts of the destruction of major cities, and have provided additional details that match the information recorded in the Bible.
There is some uncertainty about where the letters were sent from, although at least some of them seem to have been sent from Jerusalem to Lachish. Most of the letters are written from Hoshayahu (a military officer who was in charge of an outpost near Lachish) to Yaush (the military commander at Lachish).
The Lachish Letters make very interesting reading. As you might expect, they include names, and details about military commanders, army status, and intelligence reports. However, they also include tales of palace intrigue, and record at least three major events in the war against Babylon that are specifically described in the Bible:
- a conspiracy against Zedekiah by supporters of Babylon,
- a diplomatic mission to Egypt, and
- Lachish and Azekah being the last remaining unconquered cities before the final attack on Jerusalem.
The letters also mention “the prophet” and the name Jeremiah. Here are some specific examples from the Lachish Letters themselves:
Letter 2 mentions the military commander Yaush, and a blessing from Yahweh. In fact, many of the letters make reference to Yahweh, demonstrating that even though the nation had fallen into apostasy, there was still a remaining belief in God.
Letter 3 mentions a warning from “the prophet” and a mission to Egypt. The outcome of this diplomatic mission to Egypt was recorded in the book of Jeremiah.
Letter 4 notes that Lachish and Azekah were the last cities that were conquered before the final assault on Jerusalem. The book of Jeremiah also recounted the message, “We are watching for the signal stations of Lachish, according to all the signals you are giving, because we cannot see the signals of Azekah.”
Letter 6 describes a conspiracy against the king by the princes, who apparently want to side with the Babylonians. This event was also documented by Jeremiah, who was told by King Zedekiah about the traitorous Judeans who wanted to hand him over to the Babylonians.
Letter 7 seems to imply that the name of “the prophet” mentioned elsewhere in the letters, is Jeremiah. The ink is faded, so the reading is not absolutely certain. However, since Jeremiah was the only prophet known in Judah at this time, and the name “Jeremiah” does appear elsewhere in the letters, it is highly likely that the Lachish Letters refer directly to Jeremiah the prophet.
Summary
These letters, especially Letter 7, provide further attestation to the historicity of Jeremiah’s existence and his involvement in affairs of the state, just as recorded in the books of Kings, Chronicles, and the book of Jeremiah.
Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah. (Jeremiah 34:6-7 NASB95).
