And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
The king also destroyed the worship sites that were east of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives (which had become known as the Mount of Corruption). These were the places that King Solomon had built long ago for worshiping foreign gods: Ashtoreth (the disgusting god of the Sidonians), Chemosh (the disgusting god of the Moabites), and Milcom (the disgusting god of the Ammonites). The king made all these places unfit for worship.
King Josiah was tearing down the pagan worship sites that even the great King Solomon had built, showing his complete commitment to removing idol worship from Israel.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Solomon, Israel built high places near Jerusalem dedicated to foreign gods like Ashtoreth of the Sidonians, Chemosh of the Moabites, and Milcom of the Ammonites, as Solomon turned away from God due to his foreign alliances and wives. These sites became enduring symbols of idolatry and spiritual corruption in the land, representing a breach of God's covenant that persisted for centuries. King Josiah, in a later era of reform, discovered the Book of the Law and actively defiled these places to eradicate pagan worship and restore faithfulness to Yahweh.
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