The ostraca were discovered by British archaeologist James Leslie Starkey in January–February 1935, during the third campaign of the Wellcome excavations.

They were published in 1938 by Professor Harry Torczyner (name later changed to Naftali Herz Tur-Sinai) and have been much studied since then.

The individual ostraca probably come from the same broken clay pot and were most likely written in a short period of time.

They were written to Yaush (or Ya'osh), possibly the commanding officer at Lachish, from Hoshaiah (Hoshayahu), a military officer stationed in a city close to Lachish (possibly Mareshah).

The letters were probably written shortly before Lachish fell to the Babylonian army of King Nebuchadnezzar II in 588/6 BC during the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah (ref.

And as for the letter of Tobiah, the servant of the king, which came to Shallum, the son of Jaddua, from the prophet, saying, "Be on guard!"

[7] May YHWH cause my [lo]rd to hear tidings of pea[ce] and of good, [now today, now this very da]y!

Who is your servant, a dog, that my lord sent him the king's [lette]r [and] the letters of the officer[s, sayin]g, "Please read!"

May YHWH cause my lord to hear ti[dings] of peace and of [good.

And n]ow, give 10 (loaves) of bread and 2 (jars) [of wi]ne.

Send back word [to] your servant by means of Shelemiah as to what we must do tomorrow.