Topical Bible: High Places: The Jews: Built, in all Their Streets

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Topical Encyclopedia

High places, known in Hebrew as "bamot," were elevated sites often used for worship and religious rituals in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures. These sites were typically located on hills or raised platforms and were associated with both legitimate and illegitimate worship practices throughout the history of the Israelites.

Biblical Context and Usage

High places were initially used by the patriarchs and early Israelites for worship and sacrifices to Yahweh. However, as the Israelites settled in Canaan, these sites increasingly became associated with idolatrous practices, influenced by the Canaanite religion and other neighboring cultures. The Bible frequently condemns the use of high places for idol worship, as they became centers for the worship of foreign gods, including Baal and Asherah.

Construction and Proliferation

The construction of high places became widespread during the period of the monarchy. Despite the centralization of worship in Jerusalem under King David and Solomon, high places continued to be built throughout the land. The Book of 2 Kings highlights this proliferation: "They set up for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city" (2 Kings 17:9). This indicates that high places were not only prevalent in rural areas but also within urban settings, reflecting a pervasive challenge to centralized worship.

Religious Practices

High places often included altars, sacred stones, and Asherah poles, which were used in various religious ceremonies. These sites were sometimes associated with the worship of Yahweh, but more frequently, they became syncretistic, blending the worship of Yahweh with that of other deities. This syncretism was a significant concern for the prophets and reformers in Israel, who sought to purify the worship practices of the people.

Reform Efforts

Throughout the history of Israel and Judah, several kings attempted to reform religious practices by removing or destroying high places. King Hezekiah is noted for his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eliminate high places: "He removed the high places, shattered the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles" (2 Kings 18:4). Similarly, King Josiah undertook extensive reforms to eradicate idolatry, as described in 2 Kings 23.

Despite these efforts, the high places often reemerged, reflecting the persistent struggle between the worship of Yahweh and the allure of idolatry. The prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, frequently condemned the high places, associating them with Israel's unfaithfulness and calling the people back to exclusive worship of Yahweh.

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the high places represent the tension between true worship and idolatry. They serve as a symbol of Israel's recurring infidelity and the challenge of maintaining covenantal faithfulness amidst cultural and religious pressures. The biblical narrative underscores the importance of centralized worship and the dangers of syncretism, emphasizing the need for purity in devotion to God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 16:24,31
That you have also built to you an eminent place, and have made you an high place in every street.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Wall Rebuilt.
... received by the Samaritans, who afterwards built a schismatical ... and from resorting
to groves and high places for worship. ... years; and most of the Jews who were ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xiv the wall rebuilt.htm

A Description of the Temple.
The Wars of the Jews or History of the ... and other conveniences, such as courts, and
places for bathing ... the southeast corner was seventy cubits high, that from ...
/.../chapter 5 a description of 2.htm

Of the [Temple And] Cities that were Built by Herod and Erected ...
The Wars of the Jews or History of the ... marble, for the hill was itself moderately
high, and entirely ... and cloisters, and temples, and market-places at Berytus ...
/.../chapter 21 of the temple.htm

First Commandment
... his heart after other gods, and built high places for their ... Since then the Jews have
never turned to other ... not let us flatter ourselves that all idolaters are ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/first commandment.htm

The Jewish War and the Destruction of Jerusalem. AD 70
... Nobility, riches, places of honor, whether declined or occupied ... temple: in the
foreground, the high-priest burying ... temple furniture borne by captive Jews on the ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 38 the jewish war.htm

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
... while "kahal" is translated in seventy places by "ecclesia ... knew the thoughts of the
Most High!" Another direction ... particularly when the number of Jews was small ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 16 synagogues their origin.htm

The Siege and Taking of Gamala.
... about the morning watch, got under a high tower that ... those that kept guard at other
places were under ... and encompassed with precipices, whereby the Jews cut off ...
/.../chapter 1 the siege and.htm

On the Incarnation and Redemption
... Men ran here and there to high places, while the water ... Virgin that she was selected
for the high office of ... the country where God's people, the Jews, lived, and ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 7 on the incarnation.htm

Alexandria and Rome - the Jewish Communities in the Capitals of ...
... is, to say the least, very doubtful, whether the High-Priest at ... And so in other places. ...
of Antioch, Seleucus I.((Nicator), [322] had granted the Jews the right ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v alexandria and rome.htm

The Return to Capernaum - Healing of the Centurion's Servant.
... mark it, in what must be regarded as the high-point in ... of the contrast between the
views of the Jews and the ... 6, 9; Life 9, 12, 17, 66, and many other places. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xix the return to.htm