Chapter 9 One God, One Altar — Reform and Resistance

In Chapter 9: One God, One Altar — Reform and Resistance, the story of Josiah moves from discovery to dominion. What began with a scroll in the Temple becomes a full-blown religious purge. Josiah isn’t just reforming faith—he’s reshaping the kingdom.

According to the Bible, Josiah’s campaign was holy. But archaeology suggests something more complex: widespread religious centralization, the destruction of local shrines, and the erasure of alternative spiritual practices.

Key themes in this chapter:

• The scroll empowered Josiah, but also justified political control

• The crackdown targeted all decentralized worship, even Yahweh-based practices outside the Temple

• Asherah worship continued quietly, even after official bans

• Rural Israelites likely complied publicly and resisted privately

• No protests were recorded, but the archaeological remains suggest quiet defiance

This wasn’t simply theology—it was statecraft. And while the Bible hails Josiah as Judah’s most righteous king, this chapter asks: righteous for whom?

As you’ll see, Josiah’s short-lived unity became a template for religious exclusivity that echoed far beyond his lifetime—into future empires, scriptures, and systems of control.