Israelite Gate Chamber (Ostraca)

View looking south at one of the chambers of the outer Israelite Gate.  In the 1930's, J. L. Starkey found a number of Hebrew ostraca (broken pieces of pottery with writing on them) in this chamber.  This was the largest grouping of ancient Hebrew writing until the discovery of the Arad ostraca in the 1960's!

The ostraca were written around the time of the invasion of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.—when Jerusalem was captured and the First Temple was destroyed.

For a brief description of Lachish and its biblical significance and a map Click Here.