SYNOPSIS: The existence of a strong centralized kingdom at the time of Solomon as described in the Bible is something that is disputed by many scholars. A recent discovery of fortification walls at the important biblical city of Lachish now challenges that view, in more ways than you might think. The Lachish city wall discovery lends support to the biblical account.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it. And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. – Joshua 10:31-32 (ESV)
FORTIFICATION WALL AT BIBLICAL LACHISH POINTS TO THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH
The ancient city of Lachish has a long biblical history. As Judah’s second-most important city after Jerusalem, it has been the scene of many battles and destructions over the centuries. A newly discovered fortification wall at Lachish, dated to the 10th century BC adds to the debate among archaeologists as to whether Judah was a strongly centralized kingdom in the days of David and Solomon as the Bible claims.
