Why did Josiah choose to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem according to 2 Chronicles 35:1? Historical Setting of Josiah’s Reign (c. 640–609 BC) Josiah ascended the throne of Judah at eight years old (2 Chron 34:1). He inherited a nation reeling from the idolatry of Manasseh and the brief, violent reign of Amon. Internationally, Assyria was collapsing, Egypt was stirring, and Babylon was rising. Into this instability Josiah pursued exclusive loyalty to Yahweh, making Jerusalem the obvious stage for any covenant-renewal worship. The Discovery of the “Book of the Law” and Its Immediate Impact In Josiah’s eighteenth year, Hilkiah the high priest found “the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses” (2 Chron 34:14). The scroll’s content—very likely Deuteronomy or a Torah composite—demanded a centralized Passover (cf. Deuteronomy 16:1-7). Josiah tore his robes, sought prophetic confirmation from Huldah, and pledged full obedience (34:19-33). Thus, Scripture itself directly propelled a Jerusalem-based Passover. Divine Mandate for One Sanctuary Deuteronomy 12:5-14 unmistakably commands that sacrifices be offered “at the place the LORD your God will choose.” Deuteronomy 16:5-6 applies this to Passover: “You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns…the LORD your God is giving you, but at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name.” Jerusalem, identified by Solomon’s temple dedication (1 Kings 8:29), fulfilled this criterion. Josiah’s celebration in Jerusalem satisfied Mosaic legislation. Centralization of Worship as Reform Strategy Removing high places and outlaw shrines (2 Kings 23:8-20) was only half the reform; offering a compelling, scripturally authorized alternative was the other half. By concentrating the feast in Jerusalem, Josiah: • displaced local pagan syncretism; • restored priestly order (2 Chron 35:2-5); • renewed national identity around Yahweh. Archaeological strata in the Judean hill country (e.g., Tel Rehov, Tel Beer-Sheva) display contemporaneous desecrated cultic altars, supporting the historicity of Josiah’s purge. Covenant Renewal Overtones Passover is intrinsically covenantal, commemorating deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12). After reading the rediscovered Law, “all the people entered into a covenant” (2 Chron 34:31-32). Passover in Jerusalem dramatized that covenant renewal. Like Moses on Sinai and Ezra centuries later (Nehemiah 8), Josiah anchored reform to covenant remembrance at the central sanctuary. Typological Significance of Jerusalem Jerusalem prefigures the messianic work of Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). By selecting Jerusalem, Josiah unknowingly foreshadowed the final Passover fulfilled on the same mount (Luke 22:7-20). The chronicler’s emphasis (“such a Passover had not been observed since the days of Samuel,” 2 Chron 35:18) invites readers to see Josiah’s feast as an anticipatory peak pointing to the greater Passover in Jesus. National Purification and Priestly Readiness Josiah stationed priests “in their duties” and fortified the Levites “for service to the LORD” (2 Chron 35:2-6). The temple precinct uniquely possessed the infrastructure (altar, laver, storerooms) for mass slaughtering, roasting, and distribution of lambs to an entire nation. Jerusalem’s logistical capacity matched the scale of Josiah’s revival. Historical and Archaeological Corroboration • The Lachish Letter IV (c. 588 BC) references loyalty to “the prophet,” echoing the prophetic atmosphere post-Josiah. • Bullae bearing “Ḥilkiah son of Hilkiah the priest” and “Azariah son of Hilkiah” lend epigraphic weight to the priestly names in Chronicles. • The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (7th century BC) contain the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), confirming the early circulation of Torah material cited in Josiah’s reforms. These finds, held in the Israel Museum, validate the narrative’s period details. Theological Implications for Contemporary Readers Josiah’s example underscores the primacy of Scripture, the necessity of centralized, Christ-centered worship, and the community-shaping power of obedience. As believers gather around the Lord’s Table, they echo Josiah’s call: realign with God’s covenant at His chosen place—now realized in Christ Himself (John 2:19-21). Answer in Summary Josiah celebrated Passover in Jerusalem because the freshly discovered Mosaic Law required it, the temple was Yahweh’s chosen dwelling, centralization advanced his nationwide reform, Jerusalem’s facilities and typological import suited the feast, and the event renewed covenant fidelity while prefiguring the ultimate Passover fulfilled by Christ. |
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