Pathos explores the scholarly arguments over what these reforms might have entailed.

Summary

🔥 Temple Reforms: Josiah purged non-Yahwistic elements from the Jerusalem temple and dismantled worship sites throughout Judah and Israel.

🏺 Limited Archaeological Evidence: Few archaeological findings directly confirm Josiah’s reforms – indicating a diverse worship culture persisted.

📚 Monolatry vs. Monotheism: The distinction between worshiping one god exclusively while acknowledging others underlines the complexity of ancient Israelite religion.

🎉 Passover Celebration: Instituted Passover as a central religious festival.

⚔️ Political Context: Josiah’s reforms and his death in battle illustrate the precarious position of Judah amidst powerful neighboring empires, influencing religious and political dynamics.

Dr. Andrew Henry is a scholar of late antique Mediterranean religion. Dr Hendry holds a MA and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University. He is a Lecturer and Scolar at George Washington University, where he specializes in early Christianity, the New Testament, and the historical context of biblical texts.