074 Lachish Letters

Museum Description: The Lachish Letters

Room: 57/Case: 10/Number: WA 125701-7

Scripture: Jeremiah 34:7

These are some of the most significant Bible artefacts in the world, and today you get to see them with your own eyes!  Their picture is often used in the publications, so why are they so important?  The Lachish Letters are ostraca, broken pieces of pottery that were used for writing.  They are notes from an army officer in Lachish at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, writing to his commanding officer back in Jerusalem.  Perhaps the most famous is the one in the top right.  The last four letters of the second line from the top are the Tetragrammaton - Jehovah's name!  It is extraordinary that Jehovah's name appears eleven times in the seven fragments we can read.  The text contain phrases like "To my lord Yaosh, may Jehovah cause my lord to hear news of peace."  These prove that Jehovah's name was commonly used in ancient Israel, just the same as we use it today.  It appears over 7,000 times in the Bible so there is no excuse not to use it.