Abstract:
The dissertation presents a narrative discussion on King Josiah reform under the bias of deuteronomist history. It covers the period of 31 years of rule from 640 BC. when he begins his reign at the age of eight until his premature death in 609 BC. [perpetrated] by Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt. Josiah's religious reforms were driven by the imposition of the rural nationalist elite in alliance with the royal court men, temple priests, and merchants. A reform where the political dominance of the supporters of the Deuteronomist theology stood out, defended in favor of nationalism, political freedom and the purification of the temple of everything that resembled the culture and syncretic cult of the oppressive Assyria. The reform took place in several stages with purification of the temple, with the overthrow of altars in high places in Jerusalem, in the villages of Judah and in the cities of the North. Also, from the utopian project of unification of the kingdom of Samaria belonging to Assyria. In the midst of these religious and political reforms, there was an important reform of the masonry infrastructure of the temple building, during which the book of the law is found and it motivated the intensification of the reformist movement and culminated with the celebration of Easter institutionalized as a State festival in the eighteenth year of reign. Josiah managed to break free from the weakened Assyrian yoke and tried to unify part of the northern kingdom to the Judean kingdom. The preaching of the prophets, and their written messages influenced the political decisions of the young king. Deuteronomistic writers were responsible for much of what was written in the period of Josiah's reign. Part of the contents of what was produced in this historic period of the reforms were appropriations of sources and traditions of the Northern kingdom of Israel that, from 722 BC, the fugitives, when they emigrated to Judah and Jerusalem, took with them. The reforms benefited the elite of the temple, the court and the landowners, but ultimately harmed many peasants in the rural villages and towns of Judah who were not reached by the changes proposed in the reforms. By destroying the altars of worship in the rural area, the reference of culture and faith of these people was lost, since many of them were spiritually oriented, had their guidance and even “economic” help coming from these places of worship. Marginalized groups who did not participate in the benefits arising from the centralization of worship in the temple in Jerusalem were penalized and suffered the social consequences as with any and all reforms.
