Topical Bible: High Places: A Term Used to Describe Places of Worship

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High places, referred to in Hebrew as "bāmôt," are elevated sites traditionally used for worship and religious rituals in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures. These locations are frequently mentioned throughout the Old Testament and hold significant theological and historical importance. High places were often situated on hills or raised platforms and were used for both legitimate and illegitimate worship practices.

Biblical References and Usage

High places are first mentioned in the context of Canaanite worship, where they were used for the veneration of various deities, including Baal and Asherah. The Israelites, upon entering the Promised Land, encountered these sites and were commanded to destroy them. In Deuteronomy 12:2-3 , God instructs the Israelites: "Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn their Asherah poles in the fire."

Despite these clear instructions, the Israelites frequently fell into the practice of using high places for worship, both of Yahweh and of foreign gods. This syncretism is evident in the period of the Judges and the monarchy. For instance, Solomon, despite his wisdom, built high places for the gods of his foreign wives, as recorded in 1 Kings 11:7 : "At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites."

Reforms and Religious Significance

Throughout Israel's history, various kings attempted to reform worship practices by removing high places. King Hezekiah is noted for his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eliminate these sites. 2 Kings 18:4 states, "He removed the high places, shattered the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles." Similarly, King Josiah's reforms included the desecration of high places to purify the worship of Yahweh, as detailed in 2 Kings 23:13 : "The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites."

Theological Implications

The use of high places is often associated with disobedience and idolatry in the biblical narrative. The persistence of high places in Israelite worship highlights the struggle between the covenantal demands of exclusive worship of Yahweh and the cultural influences of surrounding nations. The prophets frequently condemned the use of high places, viewing them as a symbol of Israel's unfaithfulness. For example, Jeremiah 7:31 criticizes the practices conducted at these sites: "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, something I did not command, nor did it enter My mind."

Cultural and Archaeological Context

Archaeological findings have provided insight into the construction and use of high places. These sites often included altars, standing stones, and other cultic objects. The high place at Tel Dan, for instance, offers a glimpse into the religious practices of the northern kingdom of Israel. Such discoveries corroborate biblical accounts and enhance our understanding of the religious landscape during the biblical period.

In summary, high places serve as a recurring motif in the Old Testament, symbolizing the tension between true worship and idolatry. They remind readers of the importance of faithfulness to God's commands and the dangers of cultural assimilation.

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Genesis 12:8
And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar to the LORD, and called on the name of the LORD.
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Genesis 22:2,14
And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.
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Genesis 31:54
Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mount, and called his brothers to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
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1 Samuel 9:12
And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
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2 Samuel 24:25
And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
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1 Kings 3:2,4
Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days.
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1 Kings 18:30,38
And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
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1 Chronicles 16:39
And Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,
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2 Chronicles 1:3
So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
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2 Chronicles 33:17
Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet to the LORD their God only.
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Library

The Earliest Chapters in Divine Revelation
... Thus it was a supremely appropriate term to describe the ... In some places it was the
moon god Sin, as at ... and orphans, this code marks almost as high a stage in ...
/.../iii the earliest chapters in.htm

The Fear which Terminates in the Second Death.
... Fearful, is a term seldom used to describe sinners ... declared the merciful design of
the Most High, in their ... they must keep respectively, in their places, and act ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xx the fear which.htm

And ii.
... That the [Pg 431] five places, the mention of which ... character to particularize, than
to use a general term. ... On the high mountains of Israel I will plant it ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
... of the "basilica," but the very term "bema," is ... knew the thoughts of the Most High!"
Another direction ... were the so-called "oratories" or "places where prayer ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 16 synagogues their origin.htm

Manner of Covenanting.
... into idolatry by offering sacrifice on high places, made a ... The term ([Greek: euche])
by which the Seventy render ... in the Old Testament original, is used in the ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter ii manner of covenanting.htm

Christian Perfection
... Indeed, it is only another term for holiness ... shall know that I the Lord build the
ruined places; " I the ... toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 40 christian perfection.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... Their high cheek-bones stand out from their hollow ... the walls of the Pylons, and in
places where the ... inhabitants of these countries used this term by preference ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Apocalypse of Baruch.
... The term "Baruch," in Pseudo-Athanasius' Synopsis, and in the ... for they shall dwell
in the high places of that ... they should stay in their own places till the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the apocalypse of baruch.htm

At Gerasa - the Healing of the Demonised.
... mental and moral (which some might term an aspect of ... in accordance with his preconceived
notions, to select such places. ... Thou Son of the Most High God?' Christ ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxv at gerasa -.htm

That the Scriptures are Divinely Inspired.
... sacerdotal fillets and robes of the high priests, were ... not boast; for such is the
term used by the ... Christ's apostles throughout the different places, in which ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter i that the scriptures are.htm