A Murder at Lachish

The year is 1938 during the British Mandate of Palestine a 43 year old British Archeologist named James Starkey is murdered by local Arabs on the road to Hebron. What was he doing there and why was he killed? The period is known as the great Arab Revolt, hundreds of Jews in Jerusalem. Hebron, Tzafat, Yaffo and Teveria were murdered or mamed by Arab rioters who were lead by Nazi affilate Haj Amin Al Husseini.

The official British assumption at the time was that Starkey’s death was a result of the revolt and local rebel leader Issa Battat from nearby Dhahiriya was held accountable and later targeted and killed in retaliation by the British forces. It was later argued that Starkey was killed in a robbery or dispute with the Arab landowners of the Lakish site. He was buried in the Protestan cemetery on mount Zion.

But, what you might ask was doing here at the time? This might remind you of scenes in the hollywood productions of the Indiana Jones in search of the lost ark. Which by no coincidence is imagined in the same time period. Pre WWII western researchers and explorers took advantage of the region being under the control Christian nations examine the lands of the Bible and search for historical artifacts to prove its authenticity.

James Starkey was one of those individuals on who’s real life events the escapades Indiana Jones were imagined. And as his end proved, real live events were no less exciting and dangerous than in the movies.

Starkey led the Tel Lachish dig from 1932 until they came to a sudden end with his untimely death in 1938. During that time he discovered over 20 ancient Hebrew letters of correspondence between the governor of Lachish and the King of Judea in the capital city Jerusalem. The days were the leading up to the Babylonian conquest of Judea that is recorded in the Bible in the book of Kings. In one of the letters he writes “we don’t see Azaka any more…” Azaka was a Jewish city fortress on a hill to the north, they would communicate with fires lit in the night. From the report we understand that Azaka had been captured by the Babylonian invaders.

Lachish at the time was the second most important city after Jerusalem enclosed with a protective wall and guard towers.

The story of the Assyrian victory over the kingdom of Judah during the siege of Lachish in 701 BCE was displayed as a decoration on a wall carving of the South-West Palace of Sennacherib in Nineveh (Today Iraq). The events surrounding the conquest of Lachish are recorded in many sources; in the Hebrew Bible, the Lachish reliefs, Assyrian cuneiform prisms and in the archeological excavations at Lachish. Sennacherib's conquests of Judean cities, without the capital Jerusalem, are mentioned in the Bible, the book of Kings, Book of Chronicles and in the book of Isaiah.

Visit Tel Lachish National Park

The archaeological remains are a main attraction for the whole family

Where we can hike around and see the Old City Gate, the letter room where ancient Hebrew letters were found, they tell the story of the era, a central street where homes and small shops were discovered, The castle palace courtyard, and the foundation building of the fortress palace. The site has informational signs at each spot explaining what can be seen here.