Tel Lachish, known in Arabic as Tell ed-Duweir, is the site of an ancient Near Eastern city, now an archaeological site and an Israeli national park. The park was established on lands of the depopulated Palestinian village of Qobebet Ibn ‘Awwad which was north of the Tel.
Lachish is located in the Shephelah region of Israel between Mount Hebron and the Mediterranean coast. It is first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha/Lakiša. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites captured and destroyed Lachish for joining the league against the Gibeonites. The territory was later assigned to the tribe of Judah and became part of the Kingdom of Israel.
Of the cities in the ancient Kingdom of Judah, Lachish was second in importance only to Jerusalem. One of the Lachish letters warns of the impending Babylonian destruction. It reads: "Let my lord know that we are watching over the beacon of Lachish, according to the signals which my lord gave, for Azekah is not seen." According to the prophet Jeremiah, Lachish and Azekah were the last two Judean cities to fall before the conquest of Jerusalem. This pottery inscription can be seen at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.