High Place

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

High Place

HIGH PLACE

1. General:

(1) "High place" is the normal translation of bamah, a word that means simply "elevation" (Jeremiah 26:18 Ezekiel 36:2, etc.; compare the use in Job 9:8 of the waves of the sea. For the plural as a proper noun see BAMOTH). In the King James Version of Ezekiel 16:24, 25, 31, 39, "high places" is the translation of ramah (the Revised Version (British and American) "lofty places"), a common word (see RAMAH) of exactly the same meaning, indistinguishable from bamah in 16:16. In three of these verses of Ezekiel (16:24, 31, 39) ramah is paralleled by gabh, which again has precisely the same sense ("eminent place" in the King James Version, the English Revised Version), and the "vaulted place" of the American Standard Revised Version (English Revised Version margin) is in disregard of Hebrew parallelism. In particular, the high places are places of worship, specifically of idolatrous worship. So the title was transferred from the elevation to the sanctuary on the elevation (1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 14:23; compare the burning of the "high place" in 2 Kings 23:15), and so came to be used of any idolatrous shrine, whether constructed on an elevation or not (note how in 2 Kings 16:4 2 Chronicles 28:4 the "high places" are distinguished from the "hills"). So the "high places" in the cities (2 Kings 17:9 2 Chronicles 21:11 (Septuagint)) could have stood anywhere, while in Ezekiel 16:16 a portable structure seems to be in point.

(2) The use of elevations for purposes of worship is so widespread as to be almost universal, and rests, probably, on motives so primitive as to evade formal analysis. If any reason is to be assigned, the best seems to be that to dwellers in hilly country the heaven appears to rest on the ridges and the sun to go forth from them-but such reasons are certainly insufficient to explain everything. Certain it is that Israel, no less than her neighbors, found special sanctity in the hills. Not only was' Sinai the "Mount of God," but a long list can be drawn up of peaks that have a special relation to Yahweh (see MOUNT, MOUNTAIN; and for the New Testament, compare Mark 9:2 Hebrews 12:18-24, etc.). And the choice of a hilltop for the Temple was based on considerations other than convenience and visibility. (But bamah is not used of the Temple Mount.)

2. Description:

Archaeological research, particularly at Petra and Gezer, aided by the Old Testament notices, enables us to reconstruct these sanctuaries with tolerable fullness. The cult was not limited to the summit of the hill but took place also on the slopes, and the objects of the cult might be scattered over a considerable area. The most sacred objects were the upright stone pillars (matstsebhah), which seem to have been indispensable. (Probably the simplest "high places" were only a single upright stone.) They were regarded as the habitation of the deity, but, none the less, were usually many in number (a fact that in no way need implicate a plurality of deities). At one time they were the only altars, and even at a later period, when the altar proper was used, libations were sometimes poured on the pillars directly. The altars were of various shapes, according to their purpose (incense, whole burnt offerings, etc.), but were always accompanied by one or more pillars. Saucer-shaped depressions, into which sacrifices could be poured, are a remnant of very primitive rites (to this day in Samaria the paschal lamb is cooked in a pit). The trees of the high place, especially the "terebinths" (oaks?), were sacred, and their number could be supplemented or their absence supplied by an artificial tree or pole ('asherah, the "grove" of the King James Version). (Of course the original meaning of the pillar and asherah was not always known to the worshipper.) An amusing feature of the discoveries is that these objects were often of minute size, so that the gods could be gratified at a minimum of expense to the worshipper. Images (ephods?; the teraphim were household objects, normally) are certain, but in Palestine no remnants exist (the little Bes and Astarte figures were not idols used in worship). Other necessary features of a high place of the larger size were ample provision of water for lustral purposes, kitchens where the sacrifices could be cooked (normally by boiling), and tables for the sacrificial feasts. Normally, also, the service went on in the open air, but slight shelters were provided frequently for some of the objects. If a regular priest was attached to the high place (not always the case), his dwelling must have been a feature, unless he lived in some nearby village. Huts for those practicing incubation (sleeping in the sanctuary to obtain revelations through dreams) seem not to have been uncommon. But formal temples were very rare and "houses of the high places" in 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 13:32 2 Kings 17:29, 32; 2 Kings 23:19 may refer only to the slighter structures just mentioned (see the comm.). In any case, however, the boundaries of the sanctuary were marked out, generally by a low stone wall, and ablutions and removal of the sandals were necessary before the worshipper could enter.

For the ritual, of course, there was no uniform rule. The gods of the different localities were different, and in Palestine a more or less thorough rededication of the high places to Yahweh had taken place. So the service might be anything from the orderly worship of Yahweh under so thoroughly an accredited leader as Samuel (1 Samuel 9:11-24) to the wildest orgiastic rites. That the worship at many high places was intensely licentious is certain (but it must be emphasized against the statements of many writers that there is no evidence for a specific phallic cult, and that the explorations have revealed no unmistakable phallic emblems). The gruesome cemetery for newly born infants at Gezer is only one of the proofs of the prevalence of child-sacrifice, and the evidence for human sacrifice in other forms is unfortunately only too clear.

See GEZER, and illustration on p. 1224.

3. History:

(1) The opposition to the high places had many motives. When used for the worship of other gods their objectionable character is obvious, but even the worship of Yahweh in the high places was intermixed with heathen practices (Hosea 4:14, etc.). In Amos 5:21-24, etc., sacrifice in the high places is denounced because it is regarded as a substitute for righteousness in exactly the same way that sacrifice in the Temple is denounced in Jeremiah 7:21-24. Or, sacrifice in the high places may be denounced under the best of conditions, because in violation of the law of the one sanctuary (2 Chronicles 33:17, etc.).

(2) In 1 Samuel, sacrifice outside of Jerusalem is treated as an entirely normal thing, and Samuel presides in one such case (1 Samuel 9:11-24). In 1 Kings the practice of using high places is treated as legitimate before the construction of the Temple (1 Kings 3:2-4), but after that it is condemned unequivocally. The primal sin of Northern Israel was the establishment of high places (1 Kings 12:31-33; 1 Kings 13:2, 33 f), and their continuance was a chief cause of the evils that came to pass (2 Kings 17:10 f), while worship in them was a characteristic of the mongrel throng that repopulated Samaria (2 Kings 17:32). So Judah sinned in building high places (1 Kings 14:23), but the editor of Kings notes with obvious regret that even the pious kings (Asa, 1 Kings 15:14; Jehoshaphat, 22:43; Jehoash, 2 Kings 12:3; Amaziah, 14:4; Azariah, 15:4; Jotham, 15:35) did not put them away; i.e. the editor of Kings has about the point of view of Deuteronomy 12:8-11, according to which sacrifice was not to be restricted to Jerusalem until the country should be at peace, but afterward the restriction should be absolute. The practice had been of such long standing that Hezekiah's destruction of the high places (2 Kings 18:4) could be cited by Rabshakeh as an act of apostasy from Yahweh (2 Kings 18:22 2 Chronicles 32:12 Isaiah 36:7). Under Manasseh they were rebuilt, in connection with other idolatrous practices (2 Kings 21:3-9). This act determined the final punishment of the nation (21:10-15), and the root-and-branch reformation of Josiah (2 Kings 23) came too late. The attitude of the editor of Chronicles is still more condemnatory. He explains the sacrifice at Gibeon as justified by the presence of the Tabernacle (1 Chronicles 16:39; 1 Chronicles 21:29 2 Chronicles 1:3, 13), states that God-fearing northerners avoided the high places (2 Chronicles 11:16; compare 1 Kings 19:10, 14), and (against Kings) credits Asa (2 Chronicles 14:3, 5) and Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:6) with their removal. (This last notice is also in contradiction with 2 Chronicles 20:33, but 16:17a is probably meant to refer to the Northern Kingdom, despite 16:17b.) On the other hand, the construction of high places is added to the sins of Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:11) and of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:4, 5).

(3) Among the prophets, Elijah felt the destruction of the many altars of God as a terrible grief (1 Kings 19:10, 14). Amos and Hosea each mention the high places by name only once (Amos 7:9 Hosea 10:8), but both prophets have only denunciation for the sacrificial practices of the Northern Kingdom. That, however, these sacrifices were offered in the wrong place is not said. Isaiah has nothing to say about the high places, except in 36:7, while Micah 1:5 equates the sins of Jerusalem with those of the high places (if the text is right), but promises the exaltation of Jerusalem (4:1). In the references in Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 19:5; Jeremiah 32:35 Ezekiel 6:3, 1; Ezekiel 16:16; Ezekiel 20:29; Ezekiel 43:7, idolatry or abominable practices are in point (so probably in Jeremiah 17:3, while Jeremiah 48:35 and Isaiah 16:12 refer to non-Israelites).

(4) The interpretation of the above data and their historical import depend on the critical position taken as to the general history of Israel's religion.

See ISRAEL, RELIGION OF; CRITICISM; DEUTERONOMY, etc.

LITERATURE.

See , especially, IDOLATRY, and also ALTAR; ASHERAH, etc. For the archaeological literature, see PALESTINE.

Burton Scott Easton

Greek

2609. katago -- to bring down
... bring down Definition: I lead down, bring down, either from a high place on land
or to a lower (or actually to the sea-coast), or from the high seas to land. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2609.htm - 7k

5308. hupselos -- high, lofty
... high. From hupsos; lofty (in place or character) -- high(-er, -ly) (esteemed). see
GREEK hupsos. (upsela) -- 2 Occurrences. (upselois) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5308.htm - 6k

5231. huperano -- (high) above
... and ano Definition (high) above NASB Word Usage above (1), far above (2). far above,
over. From huper and ano; above upward, ie Greatly higher (in place or rank ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5231.htm - 6k

5313. hupsoma -- height, that which is lifted up
... From hupsoo; an elevated place or thing, ie (abstractly) altitude, or (by implication)
a barrier (figuratively) -- height, high thing. see GREEK hupsoo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5313.htm - 6k

2369. thumiaterion -- altar of incense, a censer
... which the high-priest poured the coals, when he entered the Holy of Holies on the
Day of Atonement. Word Origin from thumiao and -terion (suff. denoting place) ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2369.htm - 6k

4892. sunedrion -- a sitting together, hence a council, spec. the ...
... Sanhedrin Definition: a council, tribunal; the Sanhedrin, the meeting place of the ...
of ), , composed of 71 members comprising members of: high-priestly families ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4892.htm - 8k

2668. katapleo -- to sail down
... ap-leh'-o) Short Definition: I sail down Definition: I sail down (from the high
seas to ... From kata and pleo; to sail down upon a place, ie To land at -- arrive. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2668.htm - 6k

891. achri -- until, as far as
... Definition until, as far as NASB Word Usage even when (1), far (6), high (1), long ...
akron (through the idea of a terminus); (of time) until or (of place) up to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/891.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7413. ramah -- height, high place
... 7412, 7413. ramah. 7414 . height, high place. Transliteration: ramah Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-maw') Short Definition: place. ... high place. ...
/hebrew/7413.htm - 6k

1116. bamah -- a high place
... 1115, 1116. bamah. 1117 . a high place. Transliteration: bamah Phonetic Spelling:
(bam-maw') Short Definition: places. ... height, high place, wave. ...
/hebrew/1116.htm - 6k

1120. Bamoth -- "high place," a place in Moab
... 1119, 1120. Bamoth. 1121 . "high place," a place in Moab. Transliteration:
Bamoth Phonetic Spelling: (baw-moth') Short Definition: Bamoth. ...
/hebrew/1120.htm - 6k

1117. Bamah -- a high place (for idols) in Isr.
... 1116, 1117. Bamah. 1118 . a high place (for idols) in Isr. ... Word Origin from
bamah Definition a high place (for idols) in Isr. NASB Word Usage Bamah (1). ...
/hebrew/1117.htm - 6k

173. Oholibamah -- "tent of the high place," wife of Esau, also an ...
... "tent of the high place," wife of Esau, also an Edomite leader. Transliteration:
Oholibamah Phonetic Spelling: (o''-hol-ee-baw-maw') Short Definition ...
/hebrew/173.htm - 6k

6877. tseriach -- perhaps excavation, underground chamber
... high place, hold. From tsarach in the sense of clearness of vision; a citadel --
high place, hold. see HEBREW tsarach. 6876, 6877. tseriach. 6878 . ...
/hebrew/6877.htm - 6k

8205. shephi -- bareness, a smooth or bare height
... high place, stick out. From shaphah; bareness; concretely, a bare hill or plain --
high place, stick out. see HEBREW shaphah. 8204, 8205. shephi. 8206 . ...
/hebrew/8205.htm - 6k

4791. marom -- height
... 1). far above, dignity, haughty, height, most, on high one, place, loftily,.
From ruwm; altitude, ie Concretely (an elevated place ...
/hebrew/4791.htm - 6k

3494. Yithlah -- "it will hang," a place in Dan
... Jethlah. Probably from talah; it will hang, ie Be high; Jithlah, a place in Palestine --
Jethlah. see HEBREW talah. 3493, 3494. Yithlah. 3495 . ...
/hebrew/3494.htm - 6k

1181. baale bamoth -- lords of (the) high places
... From the plural of Ba'al and the plural of bamah; Baals of (the) heights;
Baale-Bamoth, a place East of the Jordan -- lords of the high places. ...
/hebrew/1181.htm - 6k

Library

The Angel's Greeting
... Then the Son opened the tent of His everlasting glory and came forth from His high
place to fetch His Bride, whom the Father had espoused to Him from all ...
/.../eckhart/meister eckharts sermons/iii the angels greeting.htm

Judas Hangs Himself.
... Caiaphas and Annas arrayed in their robes, sat in the high place of the council,
and all the seats were filled except those of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus ...
/.../stead/king of the jews/chapter vi judas hangs himself.htm

Introduction
... of the age to magnify it. The class is not large; but within it this work
takes a high place. The tone of spiritual thought and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/waring/hymns and meditations/introduction.htm

Unbelievers in the Blood of Christ Shall be Condemned.
... [1009] "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." [1010] Let not [high]
place puff any one up: for that which is worth all is [1011] faith and love ...
/.../chapter viunbelievers in the blood.htm

Concerted Prayer
... These two things had a high place in the Jewish Church. Instances are too
numerous to mention all of them. Ezra is a case in point. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the essentials of prayer/xi concerted prayer.htm

History of Public Speaking
... John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams won a high place as a debater and orator in
his speech in Congress upon the right of petition, delivered in 1837. ...
/.../kleiser/successful methods of public speaking/history of public speaking.htm

Theory of Book I.
... Wealth has no rights and poverty no disabilities as to the occupancy of
this high place. Only the preacher must be suffered there! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jackson/the message and the man/theory of book i.htm

In God's Name I Beseech You Let Prayer Nourish Your Soul as Your ...
... therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings,
be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter viii in gods name.htm

The Power of Ambition.
... that quiet New England pastor, the Reverend John M. Greene, won a high place among
those in America who first appreciated the importance of education of woman. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kent/the making of a nation/study vi the power of.htm

Canaan
... There were as many Baals or Baalim as there were states or cults. Wherever
a high-place was erected, a Baal was worshipped. His ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

Subtopics

High

High Day

High Gate or Gate Of Benjamin

High Place

High Places

High Places of the Canaanites to be Destroyed

High Places used for Idolatrous Worship

High Places: A Term Used to Describe Places of Worship

High Places: Adorned With Tapestry

High Places: Arnon

High Places: Asa Destroys