Lachish 3
6 min read

In the low hills west of Jerusalem is an archaeological site that played a significant role in the history of Israel, particularly Judah’s battles against Assyria and the Babylonians—Lachish.  The Assyrian king Sennacherib used Lachish as his staging grounds before his failed attempt to conquer Jerusalem at the end of the eighth century BC (see 2 Kings 18).  When the Babylonians eventually conquered, they left a wave of destruction, Lachish being one of those cities in their path.

The excavations at Lachish show the destruction, but also provide an interesting window into literacy in ancient Israel. The Lachish Letters are a group of correspondences written on sherds of broken pottery (ostraca) found in the excavation. In a time when paper was not available, ostraca provided a flat (albeit curved) surface for writing. These letters date to when the Babylonians were carving a destructive path south through Israel (early sixth century BC).

The Lachish Letters give an eerie picture of people seeing their imminent destruction.  One of the letters (Lachish Letter 4) discusses that another city’s signal fire is no longer visible, presumably due to its destruction. Knowing the Babylonians were getting closer would have been quite unsettling. In general, these letters discuss military and economic realities, but one letter describes an almost humorous exchange about the writer’s ability to read.

Lachish 3

Lachish Letter 3 is from Hoshayahu to his superior, Yaush (pronounced Yah-Oosh). The letter begins with a standard introductory formula, “May the LORD bring a good report of peace.” The beginning of line six is where interesting emotional words begin. “The heart of your servant is ill because you sent to your servant and said, ‘You don’t know how to read a letter.’”  There is much in this little interaction about literacy in ancient Israel.

One interesting item is that literacy was a societal marker. It was obviously important to Hoshayahu that his superior knew he could read. In fact, he even appeals to the LORD as a witness in lines 9–10, “As the LORD lives, nobody has ever tried to read to me a letter.” Today, the rate of literacy in a certain locale is used as an indicator of many things, including wealth, health, and general advancement. This seems to have been true, too, in ancient Israel.

A second interesting detail is found in lines 11–12. Hoshayahu states, “If I read it (a letter), I would again give it.” This line is understood by scholars as the ability to read something and repeat it from memory. Reading comprehension is implied in this. Not only could Hoshayahu read something, but he could understand it enough to pass it on to others.

The handful of lines on this piece of broken pottery provide a window into literacy in ancient Israel. The ability to read was an accomplishment that removed some aspect of shame Hoshayahu felt when it was suggested he couldn’t. The question of how comprehensive literacy was in ancient Israel arises from another inscription in a tomb in Jerusalem from a similar time as the Lachish Letters.

Silwan tombs

This tomb, found southeast of the Old City today, in a place called Silwan, provides a curse for anyone “who will open this (tomb).” Scholars have debated whether this warning could be read and understood by the average person in Jerusalem during the Iron Age. It does seem reasonable to assume this does show some elevated degree of literacy than is often assumed.

Silwan inscription

At a time when writing was often considered magical and used in a protective way, the occupants of the tomb may have been hoping the writing itself would protect them. When the excavators dug the tomb, they did not find it in pristine condition, for there was evidence of later domestic occupation. The curse seems to have not deterred their remains from eventually being displaced.

Regardless of our ability to ever fully know the exact level of literacy in ancient Israel, these two items discovered by archaeologists bring up interesting questions. How, by whom, and for what purpose was reading and writing used. For Hoshayahu, the ability to read ultimately meant to him that he had reached a certain status in society. This reality connects the ancient world and the modern world in similar ways as the ability to read still carries with it a power for those that possess it.

By Dr. Robert Duke, Chief Curatorial Officer

Published January 30, 2025
6 min read