SUMMARY: A massive temple structure has been unearthed by archaeologists just 4 miles from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Was idolatry both sanctioned and coordinated with Yahweh worship in the years following King Solomon? Today’s Thinker provides some insight.
And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree … – 1 Kings 14:22-23 (ESV)
The Impact of King Solomon’s Sin
The idolatry of King Solomon in the latter years of his reign is legendary. The text traces the impact of his wickedness on Israel as it splits into two Kingdoms, falls into rapid spiritual decline, and ultimately concludes with exile for each nation.
It is hard to conceive of just how completely Solomon’s inglorious end overwhelmed the brightness of his early years. The recent discovery of an idolatrous temple right next door to Jerusalem from the centuries following Solomon may provide new appreciation for the legacy of this idolatry.
Once the Northern Kingdom split away from the House of David, its king, Jeroboam immediately revitalized the old calf cult and institutionalized a new system of idolatrous worship. His goal: to maintain control and keep Israel from returning to Jerusalem, and to Rehoboam, the king of Judah (1 Kings 12:27). To accomplish this, he inaugurated a variety of high places and made the cities of Dan and Bethel the official cultic centers.
So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” – 1 Kings 12:28 ( ESV)
At this depressing juncture in the narrative, the reader hopes for a better situation in the south, with the new nation of Judah and its capital of Jerusalem. But by the time Rehoboam had reigned for no more than five years, the Bible explains that even there, in the heart of the center of Yahweh worship, things were rapidly declining.
They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. – 1 Kings 14:24 (ESV)
It is easy to gloss over the language of this passage without fully grasping its significance. However, the text is clear. In the heart of Judah, in the latter years of Solomon’s reign, religion had degenerated to a level of paganism on a par with that of the surrounding nations. This religious and moral collapse included rampant idolatry and the presence of “male cult prostitutes.”
Idolatrous Temple in the Heart of Judah?
Now, however, the picture of Judah’s early waywardness is becoming even clearer. Recent discoveries appear to be revealing just how far idolatry had encroached into the heart of Judah as early as the 10th century BC.
Just 4 miles northwest of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, an archaeological discovery has been made of a massive cultic structure. Dating from about 900 BC and in use until the early sixth century BC, the structure is reportedly based on the same architectural plan as the temple at Jerusalem.
Known as the Motza Expedition Project, the excavation is being led by the Israel Antiquities Authority in conjunction with Tel Aviv University. The Initial discovery of the massive temple complex was made in 2012 in the city of Motza.
Beginning the spring of 2019, a fuller study began and has since unearthed a huge number of cultic artifacts. Excavations are ongoing and some of the walls and perimeter have not yet been unearthed. However, there are a few things that archaeologists say they know for sure. Here’s a breakdown.
Implements of Idolatry at the Motza Cultic Site in Israel
The temple was very large, around 2/3 the size of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem just a few miles away. This close proximity strongly suggests that it would have operated under the auspices of Jerusalem and official polity. Additionally, it utilizes a common blueprint known for cultic sites in the region. It is based on an east-west orientation and included a courtyard that surrounded a large rectangular building. An altar stood near the building entrance in the courtyard as well.
Additional items serving as part of the temple’s worship furniture have been identified. These include a stone offering table, chalices, and stands. Nearby, a debris pit has been excavated in which the remains of sacrifices and articles of worship were discarded.
Four very interesting figurines have been recovered – two in the shape of humans, and two in the shape of horses – these appear to be idols. It is this finding that seems to suggest that the site was used for the worship of multiple gods. Archaeologists have also discovered tens of thousands of other kinds of artifacts.
Interpreting the Findings
Ongoing excavation will be conducted, and researchers are really curious to discover how long the site was in use. Can it be conclusively shown that this was in fact a polytheistic worship center? If so, was it abandoned as part of the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah, or was it allowed to continue operating in parallel with the main temple? (Read how the discoveries of smashed idols and a toilet at a holy site are evidence of King Hezekiah’s war on idolatry)
Doctoral student and excavation participant Shua Kisilevitz asks, “Could a monumental temple really exist in the heart of Judah, outside Jerusalem? Did Jerusalem know about it? If so, could this other temple possibly have been part of the Judahite administrative system?”
She goes on to note, “The Bible details the religious reforms of King Hezekiah and King Josiah, who consolidated worship practices to Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, and eliminated cultic activity beyond its boundaries.” So, was it during some of these reforms that this cultic center was abandoned? Could it have somehow remained in use either as a rededicated site for Yahweh worship?
One interpretation is suggesting that multiple sites dedicated to different gods throughout the area had always been normative and part of official polity. In this view, it wasn’t until some point after the demise of the Northern Kingdom that the Judahites became committed to the monotheistic worship of Yahweh. This perspective, of course, is not consistent with the biblical record.
Clarity from a Biblical Perspective
Looking through a biblical lens, however, a different picture seems clear. If the Motza site was in fact a polytheistic center, as seems to be the case, it is consistent with the spiritual legacy of Solomon. The biblical record is unambiguous – his obsession with numerous foreign women ultimately turned his heart away from the LORD.
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. – 1 Kings 11:1 (ESV)
Part of his famous spiritual and sexual experimentation included the fact that he disastrously built cultic sites dedicated to the gods of the nations. These included high places dedicated to Chemosh, Molech, and to others. The cursed fruit of this idolatry is that it ultimately culminated in institutionalized polytheistic worship. Though the scale of this apostasy is outlined in Scripture, the full impact of this may not have been fully appreciated. (See evidence for the worship of Israel’s God happening side-by-side with idol worship in ancient Israel)
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. – 1 Kings 11:7-9 (ESV)
Readers of the Bible will understand that Solomon’s idolatry introduced a deadly and deplorable precedent. The text is clear, but coming to terms with the full negative impact of his choices on the spiritual life of Israel has been easy to underestimate in the past. In view of this new discovery, however, it appears it is now hard to overestimate the negative spiritual impact of Solomon on Israel.
Could the primary lessons to be learned in the case of the Motza temple discovery be more than issues of archaeology? Are they in fact, spiritual lessons?
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; … The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. – Ecclesiastes 12:1; 13-14 (ESV)
As Solomon gave this warning at the end of a life squandered, the consequence of failure at this point is something about which we should all KEEP THINKING.
TOP PHOTO: Ancient figurines of people found at Tel Motza near Jerusalem (photo credit: Clara Amit/Israel Antiquities Authority)
NOTE: Not every view expressed by scholars contributing Thinker articles necessarily reflects the views of Patterns of Evidence. We include perspectives from various sides of debates on biblical matters so that readers can become familiar with the different arguments involved. – Keep Thinking!
