A reformation so radical as that just sketched had of course its losses as well as its gains. The latter were seen in the sweeping away of a sj'stem that was polluting the very life-blood of the nation, and in the (quickening impulse which it must have given to political unification, and to the spread of a more spiritual conception of the nation.al Cod. But the loss was very great. It was an age when the social and the religious instincts found expres- sion through the same channels, and the abolition of the local shrines must have atlectcd everyday life in the rural districts in a hundreil w.-iys. For instance, from time immemorial all slicdding of blood had been looked upon as .'^acrilice : now sacrifice was to be lawful only at Jerusalem. Again, many of the older local festivals would lose their importance now that there was no sanctuary round which they could revolve (cf. 1 S 1' 20' 25^, 2 S 13-^). And, lastly, the abolition of 'he country priesthood, whilst it deprived a large class of the means of livelihood (Jg 17''), removed from their position the recognized educational .authorities (Mic 3", Dt 33'"), and made no provision for any substitute. Still, the spontaneous religious feeling of tlie country districts needed outlets for their expression, and the loss of those ' who handled iurah' had to be supplied. If the body ecclesiastic was to have its heart in Jerus., it needed also its main arterieS throughout the country, and in time such were found for it. In the post-ex. eomniunity the synagogue (wh. see) with its worship of prayer supplied to some extent the place of the high place with its cycle of sacrifices, and the recognized teachers of the Levitical law took the place of the older provincial priests.
III. The fortunes of the local high places thus briefly sketched from the historical books may be traced through the same stages in the legal codes. In the earliest legislation high places are not actually mentioned, but they are presujijiosed. Cf. Ex 20" 'An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me, and slialt sacrifice thereon thj- burnt- oll'erings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen : in every place where 1 record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.
HIGH PLACE
HILL, IIILL-COUNTEY
383
Cf. also Ex 22'^, which presupposes the existence of local sanctuaries. In entire a^eement with this tlie writers of the narrative portions of JE repre- sent the Patriarchs as erecting altars wherever occasion demanded. Thus, e.g., Abraliam builds altars at Shechera (On 12'), at Bethel (12« 13^), at Manire (13"), and on Mount Moriah (22-') ; Jacob eacrifiees on the mount.ain of Gilead (31"), and builds altars at Shechcni (33") and at Bethel (S.'i'-'- ') ; I.saac does the same at Beer-shcba (46') ; and Moses builds an altar at Rephidim (E.\ 17'°), and prescribes the erection of one on Mount Ebal (Dt 27» ; cf. Jos S*").
When we reach the Great Code of the 7th cent. [D = Deuteronomy] all this is altered. True, the compiler nowhere mentions by name the high places of J", but his zeal for their removal betrays itself in every page of his work. All the sanctu- aries of Can. origin are to be destroyed (Dt 12--'), and for the Israelites there is to be but one place of sacrifice. ' Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God. But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose . . . thither thou shalt come, and thither ye shall bring your burnt-oU'er- ings . . .' (12*-'). ' Take heed to thyself that thou otter not thy burnt-oU'erings in every place that thou seest' (12'- ; cf. 12^'- "" 14="-*' 15* 16-- »• «■ "• " 17» 18').
Lastly, in the latest of the Pentateuchal Codes (P = Priestly Code) the one sanctuary is not so much inculcated as tacitly assumed (cf. Wellh. Proleg. p. 34).
IV. It has been said above that n^j originally signified ' high, rising CTound,' and it is iirobal>le therefore that the simplest form of high place was an altar on any slight elevation. They were situated generally, it may be supposed, near a tivy ; cf. 1 .S 9^ 10'. Close to the altar would be placvjJ the Mazz(bah a.nA \.\\c Ashfrah. Sometimes we find the high place distinguished from the altar (2 K 23", Is 36', 2 Ch 14'). Again, the high place ll distinguished from the hill upon which it stood (Ezk 6', 1 K ir 14^). In these passages the name seems to be transferred from the actual site to the apparatus for worship which stood upon it. lu the vicinity of the altar were erected buildings for various purposes, the so-called ' houses of high places' (1 K 123' 1332_ 2 K 23'"). In the case of idolatrous high places, these sometimes contained an image of the god worshipped (2 K 17^). With ' high place ' in this secondary sense of ' shrine ' or ' sanctuary ' we may compare those passages which Bjicak of 'high places' in valleys (Jer 7^' 19° 32", Ezk 6'), or in cities (1 K 13", 2 ft H"--* 23°), or 'at the entering in of the gate' (2 K 23' ; cf. Ezk 16=^). Cf. also Am 7", where it is sj'nonymous with 'sanctuary' (o--;:-:). In some of these cases it is probable that an artificial high place, with of course the necessary adjuncts, is intended. With this would agree the terms Avhich are used of the destnu'tion of 'high places.' So, c.i]., 'destroy' (Ezk 6', 2 K 21'; cf. Lv 26*', Nu 33°'', where a synonymous term is used), ' break down' (2 K 23'- "), 'bum ' (2 K 23'°).