Stap 3 van 10

War machines

Fig 6: War machines - Detail of a sketch - From [Art, history and literature illustrations](https://www.worldcat.org/title/art-history-and-literature-illustrations/oclc/878211383&referer=brief_results)

Fig 6: War machines - Detail of a sketch - From Art, history and literature illustrations

We see here the great Assyrian army advancing on the siege ramp towards the gate of the city. The battering rams are driving over logs, while archers are protecting them. A total of five rams are depicted. This shows the importance of the siege, because normally only one or two are shown. David Ussishkin, “The “Lachish Reliefs”, Israel Exploration Journal 30, no. 3-4 (1980): 189-190.

The remains of a siege ramp were found at Lachish. The ramp consists of rubble with stones on top. It was 55 - 60 meters wide and 16 meters high. This would be more than adequate for five battering rams. However, we cannot date this ramp. It is likely that it was used by Sennacherib, but could theoretically also have been used for another siege, by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE.David Ussishkin, “The “Lachish Reliefs”, Israel Exploration Journal 30, no. 3-4 (1980): 189.