Was King Hezekiah really the reformer the Bible claims he was?

Altars are central to the worship of Yahweh, and Mosaic Law is very clear when it comes to altars, specifically what they are (and are not) to be made of and adorned with. In addition, only the main altar and incense altar at the tabernacle and subsequently the temple were supposed to have horns.

However, due to the influence of the surrounding nations and their religious rituals, many of the Israelites imitated the form of pagan altars and violated the stipulations that God had specified for altar construction, specifically:

• including horns on any altar except for an altar in the tabernacle or the temple,
• altars made using cut or dressed stones, and
• including images on the altars.

When Hezekiah became king of Judah, he initiated reforms and campaigned to return to following the commands God had given in the Law. Hezekiah commanded that standing stones, Asherah poles, high places, and illegal altars were to be destroyed.

One of the most illuminating archaeological examples of Hezekiah’s reforms was found during excavations at Beersheba in the south of the kingdom of Judah. There they found:

• a horned altar (sin #1; forbidden for any altar except the one in the tabernacle or the temple);
• made of finely cut sandstone (sin #2; Exodus 20: 25)
• featuring an engraved image of a twisting serpent (sin #3; Exodus 20:4).

This altar was found broken, dismantled, and reused as building stones in an 8^th-century BC wall of a storehouse from the time of Hezekiah. The broken remnants of the horned altar from Beersheba have been reconstructed, providing insight into practices and events of 8^th-century BC Judah.

Summary

This dismantling of the altar at Beersheba provides archaeological confirmation of the religious reformation of King Hezekiah, just as it is recorded in the Bible.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession. (2 Chronicles 31: 1 NASB95)