ae ology ▁of ▁Israel . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁cities ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Jud ah , ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁S enn acher ib , ▁king ▁of ▁Ass y ria , ▁in ▁ 7 0 1 ▁BC . ▁The ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁system atic ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁conducted ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁scale . ▁The ▁research ers ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁layers ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁C ana an ite ▁/ ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Israel ite ▁periods . ▁Sim ult ane ously , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ▁began ▁pres erving ▁and ▁re construct ing ▁the ▁city ▁gates ▁from ▁the ▁Israel ite ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁data ▁found ▁in ▁these ▁exc av ations , ▁together ▁with ▁historical ▁data ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁con quest , ▁as ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁large ▁L ach ish ▁relief s ▁made ▁by ▁S enn acher ib ▁that ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁N ine ve h , ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁re construct ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁con quest ▁and ▁destruction ▁of ▁L ach ish ▁during ▁S enn acher ib ' s ▁campaign ▁against ▁Jud ah , ▁in ▁ 7 0 1 ▁BC ▁( th ese ▁wall - rel ief s ▁are ▁currently ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ). ▁This ▁campaign ▁was ▁launched ▁to ▁repr ess ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁started ▁by ▁He zek iah , ▁king ▁of ▁Jud ah , ▁against ▁Ass y ria . ▁L ach ish ▁was ▁taken , ▁after ▁a ▁short