Under the two preceding kings, Amon and Manasseh, idolatry had been introduced in the most shameful forms (especially the cult of Baal and Astarte) into the Holy City, ANE History: The End of Judah Copyright Quartz Hill School of Theology The Wicked Reigns of Manasseh and Amon and with this foreign cult came a foreign culture and a great corruption of morals. Josiah, a dedicated reformer, "The Religious Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah" at the Biblical Archaeology Society Online Archive wished to put an end to the horrible devastation in the holy places. One of the most zealous champions and advisers of this reform was Zephaniah, and his writing remains one of the most important documents for the understanding of the era of Josiah.
Source: Wikipedia > Zephaniah
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