Ancient Mysteries & Interpretations
In about 622 BC, during Temple repairs, the high priest Hilkiah reported finding "the book of the law." King Josiah tore his clothes, read it to the people, removed the high places and held a great Passover in Jerusalem. Since 1805, many scholars have identified that book with Deuteronomy or its core. Others disagree.
Josiah: historical king · Book found: biblical report · Identification with Deuteronomy: a major hypothesis
Deuteronomy 12; 16; 17:18; 31:9–13
"I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD" (2 Kings 22:8). "Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges" (23:22).
| Josiah's reform (2 Kings 23) | Deuteronomy |
|---|---|
| Sacrifice only in Jerusalem; high places removed | Worship at the one chosen place (12) |
| Passover held in Jerusalem | Passover at the chosen place (16) |
| Mediums and household gods removed | Divination and necromancy forbidden (18) |
| Covenant read to all the people | Public reading of the law (31) |
| Fear at the curses of the book | Blessings and curses (28) |
Josiah is a historical king of Judah (c. 640–609 BC), and Assyrian power was collapsing in his time. No scroll from his reign survives. Archaeological evidence for his reform is debated: some shrines went out of use in this period, others earlier.
Scholarly reconstruction
Following W. M. L. de Wette (1805), the book was a form of Deuteronomy 12–26, written shortly before or presented as an ancient discovery.
Source: W. M. L. de Wette, Dissertatio critica (1805); M. A. Sweeney, "Deuteronomy and the Reigns of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah of Judah" (Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy, 2020) ↗
Traditional reading
The scroll was a genuine older copy of the law of Moses, neglected during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon.
Assessment: Consistent with the narrative; not testable.
Scholarly reconstruction
The identification is too neat; Deuteronomy may have northern roots, be connected with Hezekiah, or be largely exilic.
Source: E. Nicholson, Deuteronomy and the Judaean Diaspora (2014) ↗
Josiah's reform as described in Kings matches Deuteronomy's central laws closely. That makes the identification attractive, but it is a hypothesis built mainly on the biblical texts themselves.
What the evidence shows
Source: M. A. Sweeney, "Deuteronomy and the Reigns of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah of Judah" (Oxford Handbook of Deuteronomy, 2020) ↗; E. Nicholson, Deuteronomy and the Judaean Diaspora (2014) ↗