Chapter 23: Yoshiyahu rids the land of idolatry

1. Yoshiyahu arouses the nation to repent:

• Yoshiyahu gathers the nation to the temple: Yoshiyahu the king summoned all the elders of Yehuda and Jerusalem [to gather with him in the temple together with the rest of the people]. The king went up to the Temple, and was met there by all the people of Yehuda and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The priests and the prophets, and all the people from small to great were present.
• Yoshiyahu reads the Torah scroll before the nation and makes a covenant with them: Yoshiyahu read to the nation that was gathered in the temple all the words of the Torah scroll that was found in the temple. The king stood in his designated area in the temple, and made a pact between the Jewish people in front of G-d, that the Jewish people would once again accept upon themselves to follow all that is written in G-d’s Torah.

2. Yoshiyahu destroys idolatry from the land:

• Yoshiyahu instructs for all the vessels of idolatry in the Temple to be destroyed: Yoshiyahu the king instructed Chilkiyah the high priest as well as the other priests and the guards of the temple, to take out all of the utensils of idolatry from the temple, including the vessels that were manufactured on behalf of the Baal and Asherah, and on behalf of the celestial hosts. The vessels were burnt outside Jerusalem in the plains of Kidron, and he carried their ashes to Beis El.
• Yoshiyahu obliterates the priests of idolatry: Yoshiyahu obliterated the priests of idolatry who were appointed by the kings of Yehuda to offer offerings and incense on Bamos altars in the cities of Yehuda and areas of Jerusalem. He abolished all the priests who would offer burnt incense to the Baal, to the sun, to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the hosts of heaven.
• Yoshiyahu destroys all of the idolatry Asheira trees: Yoshiyahu took the Asherah trees out of the Temple to outside Jerusalem, to the Kidron Valley. He burnt the trees in the Kidron Valley and turned it into dust. He threw its dust on the graves of those who had worshiped them in their lifetime.
• Yoshiyahu destroys the houses of idolatry: Yoshiyahu demolished the houses of idolatry and harlotry which were designated for the Asheira tree worship within the temple, where the women weave items for the Asherah.
• Yoshiyahu influences the priests of idolatry to repent: Yoshiyahu brought all the priests of idolatry from the cities of Yehuda [and influenced them to repent^[1]]. These priests of the Bamos [who were Kohanim, descendants of Aaron] were not allowed to serve G-d on the altar in Jerusalem, although they were allowed to partake in the eating of the gifts and offerings designated for the priests.
• Yoshiyahu destroys all of the Bamos from the land: Yoshiyahu designated all the altars used for burning incense for use of filth and garbage, from Geva until Beersheva. Yoshiyahu demolished all the Bamos near the gates, including the Bama found by the gate of Yehoshua the governor of the city.
• Yoshiyahu destroys the idolatry of Molech: Yoshiyahu destroyed the Tophet sculpture and building of the Molech idolatry that was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, which was used for parents to pass their son and daughter in the fire to Molech.
• Yoshiyahu destroys the idolatry of the sun: Yoshiyahu annihilated the horses and chariots that the kings of Yehuda had designated to run towards the sun in order to worship it.
• Yoshiyahu destroys the altars of Achaz and Menashe: Yoshiyahu destroyed and burnt all of the altars of idolatry in the courtyard of the temple and on the roof of the palace of the king that were built by Achaz and Menashe. He took their dust and threw it into to the Kidron Valley.
• Yoshiyahu destroys the altars on the Mount of olives: Yoshiyahu destroyed the altars that were on Mount of Olives, which were built by the wives of King Solomon on behalf of the idol Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and Chemosh the abomination of Moav and for Milcom the abomination of Amon.

[1] Metzudos Dovid 23:8