English: Archaeologists discovered 19 ostraca (writings on pottery fragments) at a gate chamber in Lachish between 1935-1938. These were dramatic letters written by a military subordinate stationed nearby to his commander at Lachish named Yaush just prior to Nebuchadnezzar's invasion in 586 BCE. The author tells Yaush that some of the nearby city's fire signals have been extinguished, signifying they have fallen to the Babylonian army. The letters also reveal the lack of supplies and food during this tumultuous time.