e orthodox historians of Jerusalem. Worshippers again began openly
to frequent the high places; they set up again the prostrate idols,
replanted the sacred groves, and even "built altars for all the host
of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jahveh." The chariots
and horses of the sun reappeared within the precincts of the temple,
together with the sacred courtesans. Baal and the Phoenician Astarte
were worshipped on Mount Sion. The valley of Hinnom, where Ahaz had
already burnt one of his children during a desperate crisis in the
Syrian wars, was again lighted up by the flames of the sacred pyre.
We are told that Manasseh himself set the example by passing his son
through the flames; he also had recourse to astrologers, soothsayers,
fortune-tellers, and sorcerers of the lowest type. The example of
Assyria in matters of this kind exercised a preponderant influence on
Jewish customs, and certainly it would have been a miracle if Jerusalem
had succeeded in escaping it; did not Nineveh owe the lofty place it
occupied to these occult sciences and to the mysterious powers of its
gods? In thus imitating its conqueror, Judah was merely borrowing the
weapons which had helped him to subdue the world. The partisans of the
ancient religions who were responsible for these innovations must have
regarded them as perfectly legitimate reforms, and their action was
received with favour in the provinces: before long the latter contained
as many sanctuaries as there were towns,* and by thus multiplying the
centres of worship, they hoped that, in accordance with ancient belief,
the ties which existed between Jahveh and His chosen people would also
be increased.

* Jer. ii. 26-30. For the quotation see also Jer. xi. 13:
"For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O
Judah; and according to the number of the streets of
Jerusalem have ye set up altars to the shameful thing, even
altars to burn incense unto Baal."

The fact that the provinces had been ravaged from end to end in the days
of Sennacherib, while Jerusalem had been spared, was attributed to the
circumstance that Hezekiah had destroyed the provincial sanctuaries,
leaving the temple on Mount Sion alone standing. Wherever Jahveh
possessed altars, He kept guard over His people, but His protection was
not extended to those places where sacrifices were no longer offered to
Him. The reaction was not allowed to take place without opposition on
t