Josias
Josias is according to the Bible the 16th King de Juda of -640 with -609, year when it is overcome and mortally wounded with the battle of Megiddo against the Pharaon Nékao II.
Josias would have been “Discoverer” in the Temple of Jerusalem of a copy of the book of the Law (see 2 king 22-8). Certain scientists consider that this book is the Torah (i.e. 5 books of the Pentateuque), others increasingly many militate for only the Deutéronome (the first book of pentateuque).
Josias made of this Book the base of the reform of the Jewish religion and the eradication of the worship of the idols, the “high places” (he seems you sanctuaries installed on heights) and divinities surrounding Yahvé
The polytheism Jew is indeed well attested before Josias. “The inscriptions dating from VIIIe century before Jesus-Christ, found on the site of Kuntillet Ajrud, in the North-East of the Sinai refer apparently to the goddess Asherah as being the wife of Yahvé”. One finds also the mention “YHWH and his Ashera” on an inscription dating from late monarchy (towards -600) in the area of Shefelah (Royaume of Juda).
The Bible presents Josias like fighting against these worships: it “ordered to withdraw sanctuary of Yahvé all the objects of worship which had been made for Baal, for Ashera and all the army of the sky. It removed the false priests whom kings de Juda had installed and who sacrificed to Baal, with the sun, the moon, the constellations and all the army of the sky. It demolishes the residence of the crowned prostitutes, which was in the temple of Yahvé”
This religious reform is presented by the Bible like a return to the original monotheism partially forgotten by the israélites.
Contrary, good number of historians regard Josias as the true creator of the modern Hebraic monotheism, having imposed a vision of Yahvé like single god, and either only like supreme god of the Jews. On this assumption, Josias is not the creator of this vision (which takes shape in the older sources known as of Yahviste and in Elohiste of the documentary Hypothèse), but its spokesperson.
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