Josiah's Jerusalem

During the growing political unrest of Jerusalem, Josiah came to be the king of Jerusalem at an early age of thirteenth. In the Deuteronomy theology, Josiah was considered a good king because he enacted numerous religious reforms. He rebuilt the temples that King Manasseh destroyed, and he eliminated all the foreign cults in Jerusalem. During that time, if the king is good by faithfully worshipping God, then God will bless the king and his city.

Josiah was different from previous kings, because he was not powerful and charismatic. Thus, Josiah relied on literature and text to empower his rule. During his reign, Josiah discovered the book of the law. The book of the law completely centralized religion in Jerusalem. Instead of following their charismatic leaders, people were following the law instead. Written text and literature became more important because they could last longer than humans could. It had become tradition for the people of Jerusalem to worship only one God, in one place, and in one way. Written text, such as the law, also came to dominate over the rule of the king, because everyone was to read and obey the law.