From biblicalarchaeology.org
One of the most significant changes in the religious life of ancient Israel occurred during the reign of the Judahite king Hezekiah, in the late eighth century B.C.E. The Hebrew Bible provides us with this image: “He removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole (asherah). He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it” (2 Kings 18:4). In doing so, explains the Bible, the faithful king Hezekiah simply “did what was right in the sight of the Lord.” But was Hezekiah really motivated only by “the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses”? What was his reform like on the ground?
The Biblical text is sparse on details of Hezekiah’s reform in Judah, but we can turn to archaeology for assistance. The archaeological remains come from Tel Arad, Tel Motza, Beer-Sheba, Tell Halif and Lachish—settlements with ninth- and eighth-century cultic places—to help us understand what actually happened. Archaeology reveals that, with the exception of Tell Halif, these sites were part of the official Judahite cult under royal control, and it appears that they were all dismantled and buried.
Continue reading on biblicalarchaeology.org
