Siege Tower

A tall wooden structure with a platform on top, used by soldiers to attack a besieged city.

Siege tower and battering ram destroying the walls of a fortified city, Assyrian relief
Siege tower and battering ram destroying the walls of a fortified city, Assyrian relief (Capillon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Firing platform, siege tower

About Siege Tower

The siege tower was a high, wooden structure that enabled a besieging army to fire arrows, stones and other missiles into the besieged city. It was sometimes constructed with wheels so that it could be pushed closer to the walls. Near its top was a platform on which the attacking soldiers could fire their missiles at the defenders on the walls as a cover for their own troops while they undermined the wall or attacked it with a battering ram.

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Key References

2 Samuel 20:15

And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

Ezekiel 4:2

Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides.

Isaiah 29:3

I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.

All Scripture References (3)

Deuteronomy (1)
Deuteronomy 20:20

But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

Isaiah (2)
Isaiah 23:13

Look at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.

Isaiah 29:3

I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.