Daily Tanach Monday 30th Nissan Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 23 Part 2: Yoshiyahu rids the land of idolatry part 2

• Yoshiyahu destroys the remaining altars: Yoshiyahu broke down the monuments, and cut down the asherim trees, and filled their area with human bones. He also destroyed the altar that was in Beis El, and the Bamos that Yeravam the son of Nevat-built. He turned them into dust and burnt the Asherah.
• Yoshiyahu burns the bones of idol worshipers: Yoshiyahu removed the bones of the idol worshipers from the grave that were near the above altars and burned them on the altar as Hashem had instructed. Yoshiyahu saw a unique grave in the area [with myrtles and other good scenting plants growing next to it^[1]] and was told that it is the grave of a true prophet who was buried there [hundreds of years prior]. He instructed for [also] the bones of the grave that was next to it [which was the grave of a false prophet^[2]] to not be moved [lest it shake the grave of the true prophet^[3]].
• Yoshiyahu destroys all of the idolatry in the Shomron: Yoshiyahu also destroyed all the temples and altars in the cities of Shomron that the kings of Israel had built. Yoshiyahu did to these altars as he had done to all of the altars in Beis El.
• Yoshiyahu killed all of the priests of idolatry: Yoshiyahu slaughtered all the priests of the Bamos on the altars of idolatry, and he burnt human bones on the altars, and he then returned to Jerusalem.

1. The Jewish people perform the Pesach sacrifice:

• The king commanded the Jewish people to perform the Pesach sacrifice. Such a Pesach sacrifice [with this many people^[4]] had not been performed since the time of the Shoftim [i.e. Shmuel^[5]], and had not been done throughout all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Yehuda.
• The year of the Pesach sacrifice: The Pesach sacrifice took place in the eighteenth year of King Yoshiyahu.

2. Yoshiyahu rids the land of witchcraft:

• Yoshiyahu also got rid of all forms of witchcraft from the land including the Ov and Yidoni and the Terafim and the idols, following through with all the commands of the Torah scroll that Chilkiyahu the high priest had found.

3. The legacy of Yoshiyahu:

• There was no king like Yoshiyahu, neither before him nor after him, who returned to Hashem with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his possessions, according to the entire Torah of Moshe.
• The remaining events of Yoshiyahu and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yehuda.

[1] Rashi 23:17

[2] Rashi 23:17

[3] Metzudos Dovid 23:18

[4] See Rashi 23:22

[5] Rashi 23:22