Relief of the attack on Lachish
- Audio guide stop: 215
- Gallery: Room 10b
- Audio guide: one commentary for a group of objects shown together
- Museum: The British Museum
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About these objects
These carved gypsum wall panels come from the Assyrian capital of Nineveh and tell the story of the 700 BC siege of Lachish, a fortified city in southern Canaan. They were part of a palace decoration that recorded King Sennacherib’s military achievements. Each panel shows a different stage of the attack, with siege engines, soldiers, and defenders in vivid detail.
Look closely at the central piece, which shows Sennacherib seated on a throne, watching prisoners being brought before him. This relief includes cuneiform inscriptions in Akkadian, naming the king and describing the scene. Nearby are scenes of prisoners marching into exile, Assyrian tents, and even a procession of prisoners with animals and goods, showing what was captured after Lachish’s fall.
The carvings give a rare look into ancient warfare and the power of Assyrian rulers. Though centuries old, these panels still feel dynamic and dramatic—like pages taken from a war epic.
See it in person
Relief of the attack on Lachish is on display in Room 10b at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 215, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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