high places, as places of worship, at first on hills and mountains, later on artificial mounds or platforms, under green trees, and in cities; still later for the chapels erected thereon, and once apparently for a portable sanctuary (decked with diverse colours)
Ezekiel 16:16. The ancient worship of Israel was conducted on these high places. In the times of Samuel and David they ascended to them, descended from them, and offered sacrifices on them,
I Samuel 9:12-25;
I Samuel 10:5,
I Samuel 10:13 (
הבמה for
הביתה We Dr). The custom continued in the reign of Solomon, but Gibeon was
הבמה הגדולה I Kings 3:2-4 cf.
I Chronicles 16:39 I Chronicles 21:29;
II Chronicles 1:3,
II Chronicles 1:13. High places of Baal were also used
Numbers 22:41 (E)
Jeremiah 19:5 Jeremiah 32:35; of Moab
Isaiah 15:2;
Isaiah 16:12;
Jeremiah 48:35 (cf. MI
27); these must be demolished
Numbers 33:52 (J). Solomon built
במות (platforms or chaples) to Chemosh and Milkom on the Mt. of Evil Counsel opposite Jerusalem
I Kings 11:7: Jeroboam made temples on the ancient high places of Dan and Bethel
I Kings 12:31,
I Kings 12:32;
II Chronicles 11:15; they are called
במות און Hosea 10:8,
במות ישׂחק Amos 7:9: the kings of Israel built
במות and
בתי הבמות in all their cities
II Kings 17:9, and the people worshipped there
II Kings 17:11; these were also used by the mixed population after the exile of Israel
II Kings 17:29,
II Kings 17:32(×2): these various idolatrous high places were first destroyed by Josiah
I Kings 13:2,
I Kings 13:32,
I Kings 13:33 II Kings 23:5-20 II Chronicles 34:3. The worship of Yahweh on high places continued in Judah until the exile
I Kings 22:44 II Kings 15:35; the sanctity code predicts that Yahweh will destroy them
Leviticus 26:30; they were regarded as the reason for the rejection of Shiloh
Psalms 78:58. The complier of Kings, writing from the point of view of the Deut. code, complains
רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא סָרוּ II Kings 12:4;
II Kings 14:4;
II Kings 15:4,
II Kings 15:35 cf.
II Chronicles 15:17;
II Chronicles 20:33, and praises the few pious kings who destroyed them.