lt of genuine conviction, and
partly because the priests had come to realise that the establishment
of a single exclusive sanctuary would work for their own interest
and advantage. The high priest Hilkiah took up the line followed by
Jeremiah, and was supported by a number of influential personages such
as Shaphan the scribe, son of Azaliah, Ahikam, Achbor son of Micaiab,
and a prophetess named Huldah, who had married the keeper of the royal
wardrobe. The terrors of the Scythian invasion had oppressed the hearts
and quickened the zeal of the orthodox. Judah, they declared, had no
refuge save Jahveh alone; all hope was lost if it persisted in the
doctrines which had aroused against the faithless the implacable wrath
of Jahveh; it must renounce at once those idols and superstitious rites
with which His worship had been disfigured, and overthrow the altars
which were to be found in every part of the country in order to
concentrate all its devotion on the temple of Solomon. In a word, Judah
must return to an observance of the strict letter of the law, as it had
been followed by their forefathers. But as this venerable code was not
to be found either in the "Book of the Covenant" or in any of the other
writings held sacred by Israel, the question naturally arose as to where
it was now hidden. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah sent
Shaphan the scribe to the temple in order to audit the accounts of the
sums collected at the gates for the maintenance of the building. After
the accounts had been checked, Hilkiah suddenly declared that he had
"found the Book of the Law" in the temple, and thereupon handed the
document to Shaphan, who perused it forthwith. On his return to the
palace, the scribe made his report: "Thy servants have emptied out the
money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand
of the workmen;" then he added "Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a
book," and proceeded to read it to the king. When the latter had heard
the words contained in this Book of the Law, he was seized with anguish,
and rent his garments; then, unable to arrive at any decision by
himself, he sent Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam, Achbor, and Asaiah to inquire
of Jahveh for him and for his people, "for great is the wrath of the
Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened
unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is
written concerning us."

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