Ancient Worlds - BBC Two Episode 2 “The Age of Iron”The Lachish Relief, a well-preserved

Ancient Worlds - BBC Two Episode 2 “The Age of Iron”The Lachish Relief, a well-preserved series of stone panels which decorated the walls of the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s great palace at Nineveh. The reliefs narrate the story of the siege and capture of the ancient city of Lachish, in Judah, in 701 BC. King Sennacherib reigned from 704 to 681 BC. He moved the empire’s capital to the ancient city of Nineveh and built the Great Palace of Nineveh, also known as the South-West Palace. Many rooms were decorated with alabaster wall reliefs.The Lachish relief hold depictions of Assyrian siege ramps, battering rams, sappers, and other siege machines and army units, along with Lachish’s architecture and its final surrender. The reliefs also show scenes of extreme violence: the defenders of the city being thrown over the ramparts, impaled, having their throats cut and asking for mercy. Warfare is a recurring theme in Assyrian art and texts.The single inscription on the reliefs reads: “Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment, before (or at the entrance of) the city of Lachish (Lakhisha). I give permission for its slaughter”PART IIThe British Museum, London, UK -- source link

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