The Decline of the Priesthood in Judah:

conflicts between Jerusalem and the Provinces. An exegetical analysis of 2 Kings 23:4-9

Abstract

The years of Josiah's reign were advancing and the attempt to recover fidelity to YHWH was finding its last days. Very soon the king would perish in combat at Megiddo, wrecking any possibility of avoiding destruction, banishment and tragedy. It was in this short period (± 641 – 609 B.C.) that the priesthood of the Kingdom of Judah encountered resistance from the religious ministers of the capital against those who carried out their activities in the provinces. More than a clash between true and false Yahvism, the issue involved privileges for the priests of Jerusalem, even if this led to non-compliance with a legal precept. Using a methodology of a diachronic nature – which does not present segmented translation and textual criticism notes for reasons of text size restriction – this article works with the figures of the various types of priests existing in the territory of Judah at the end of the seventh century B.C. and their difficult interpersonal relationship.