In the seventh century, the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel faced the rising empires of Assyria and Babylon. In order to survive possible invasion or annexation, the Kingdom of Judah issued many religious reforms under Kings Hezekiah and Josiah. Religious practices before these threats were much more decentralized and had roots in earlier Yahwistic cultic practices. An example of these practices would be the High Places as areas of worship. With the downfall of the northern Kingdom of Israel, Judah had to prepare for an Assyrian annexation and tried to differentiate itself from their northern neighbors. In order to do so King Hezekiah and King Josiah both created religious reforms attempting to centralize the Jerusalem cultic practice and unite the people against both Assyrian and Babylonian aggression. High places became an easy target in the reforms of both kings. A high place is an elevated cultic installation where religious rites were performed. They could be in either a rural or an urban setting and were sometimes found on naturally higher areas or were sometimes artificially built up. These High Places could possibly represent the oldest Yahwistic cultic practices in Israel. Originally, Biblical passages supported the use of High Places in worship with examples of Saul and Samuel worshipping at High Places. Later, King David and King Solomon were also mentioned going to a High Place at Gibeon. After the Solomon’s Temple was built, a shift in perception of the High Places began. The change in attitude towards High Places came after the Temple in Jerusalem was completed.
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Before there was no one place to worship or a place that had a perceived higher religious meaning. With the building of the Temple, there became an authority on religious matters. Therefore, the fact that priests in Jerusalem had little control over the High Places out in the country led to them to believe that practices in use at the High Places could be heterodox or idolatrous. This led to an effort in Deuteronomist theology to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem before King Hezekiah or King Josiah. Biblical texts also started to connect High Places with cultic practices devoted to the Canaanite deities instead of accepted Yahwistic practices. This change in attitude towards High Places culminated in the belief that Israel fell to the Assyrians because of their worshipping at High Places. As soon as King Hezekiah was crowned it said that he began to purify the Temple. Many of Hezekiah’s religious reforms were focused on Israelite cult objects such as destroying High Places, broke sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah, or sacred pole. An example of this would be Tell Lasich, were a horned altar was found chipped off and an unused toilet was discovered in the area. Putting a toilet on a once sacred site is a way to “destroy’ or “defile” it. These reforms were instituted before the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem and Judean cities but were probably an attempt to centralize power in Jerusalem. After the northern Kingdom of Israel fell there was an influx of people in both Jerusalem but also in the region of Benjamin. In Jerusalem, the West Hill settlement explodes with people, whereas before the population was mostly in Temple Mount and City of David. These new people were probably refugees fleeing from the Assyrian annexation of Israel. With this context, King Hezekiah’s reforms can be seen as a way to unite the Judeans and Israelites in common religious practice to avoid the fate of Israel. By eliminating common Israel cultic objects Hezekiah was sending a message that Israel fell because of these practices. Then by issuing his reforms, he set out to depict Judah and Jerusalem as the true way to practice. Hezekiah eventually fought against the Assyrians and had to submit to vassalage again. His son, King Manasseh, remained a vassal state to Assyria and reversed many of his father’s religious reforms. He rebuilt many of the High Places, where archaeologists today found 400 Asherah like figurines from the sevenths century. These counter-reforms could be seen as a way Manasseh was trying to decentralize Judah in order to appease the Assyrians. After Manasseh’s death and the death of Amon, Josiah became King of Judah. During Josiah’s rule, the Assyrians returned to their homeland
Before there was no one place to worship or a place that had a perceived higher religious meaning. With the building of the Temple, there became an authority on religious matters. Therefore, the fact that priests in Jerusalem had little control over the High Places out in the country led to them to believe that practices in use at the High Places could be heterodox or idolatrous. This led to an effort in Deuteronomist theology to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem before King Hezekiah or King Josiah. Biblical texts also started to connect High Places with cultic practices devoted to the Canaanite deities instead of accepted Yahwistic practices. This change in attitude towards High Places culminated in the belief that Israel fell to the Assyrians because of their worshipping at High Places. As soon as King Hezekiah was crowned it said that he began to purify the Temple. Many of Hezekiah’s religious reforms were focused on Israelite cult objects such as destroying High Places, broke sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah, or sacred pole. An example of this would be Tell Lasich, were a horned altar was found chipped off and an unused toilet was discovered in the area. Putting a toilet on a once sacred site is a way to “destroy’ or “defile” it. These reforms were instituted before the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem and Judean cities but were probably an attempt to centralize power in Jerusalem. After the northern Kingdom of Israel fell there was an influx of people in both Jerusalem but also in the region of Benjamin. In Jerusalem, the West Hill settlement explodes with people, whereas before the population was mostly in Temple Mount and City of David. These new people were probably refugees fleeing from the Assyrian annexation of Israel. With this context, King Hezekiah’s reforms can be seen as a way to unite the Judeans and Israelites in common religious practice to avoid the fate of Israel. By eliminating common Israel cultic objects Hezekiah was sending a message that Israel fell because of these practices. Then by issuing his reforms, he set out to depict Judah and Jerusalem as the true way to practice. Hezekiah eventually fought against the Assyrians and had to submit to vassalage again. His son, King Manasseh, remained a vassal state to Assyria and reversed many of his father’s religious reforms. He rebuilt many of the High Places, where archaeologists today found 400 Asherah like figurines from the sevenths century. These counter-reforms could be seen as a way Manasseh was trying to decentralize Judah in order to appease the Assyrians. After Manasseh’s death and the death of Amon, Josiah became King of Judah. During Josiah’s rule, the Assyrians returned to their homeland