How did King Josiah’s reform change religious practices in Jerusalem?

King Josiah’s religious reform, known as the Deuteronomic Reform, was a transformative movement in 7th-century BCE Judah that fundamentally reshaped Israelite religious practice. Triggered by the discovery of a scroll of the Torah—widely identified by scholars as the book of Deuteronomy—during renovations of the Temple of Jerusalem, the reform focused on three primary objectives:

• Centralization of Worship: Josiah abolished all rural sanctuaries and local altars throughout the countryside, mandating that all sacrifices and religious observances be concentrated exclusively at the Temple in Jerusalem.123
• Purification of Cults: The Temple was purged of all foreign idols, pagan altars, and influences associated with astral deities and fertility cults, such as Asherah. The site was then dedicated solely to the worship of Yahweh.123
• Covenantal Renewal: Josiah convoked a representative assembly to enter into a formal covenant with God, grounding the state’s authority in obedience to the newfound Torah. This marked a significant step toward the establishment of a sacred canon.3