Where is Bamah mentioned in the Bible?

Bamah is mentioned in Ezekiel 20:29, where the prophet references a 'high place' (bamah) as a site of improper worship. The specific location is not identified, but the term generally refers to an elevated pagan shrine.

What happened at a bamah in the Bible?

Bamahs were high places used for idolatrous worship, often to false gods like Baal. God condemned Israel for offering sacrifices and incense at these locations instead of at the Jerusalem temple (1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:8).

What is the significance of the word 'bamah' in Ezekiel?

In Ezekiel 20:29, God uses the word 'bamah' rhetorically to rebuke Israel's idolatry. The name itself becomes a point of contention, highlighting how their worship at high places was an abomination and a rejection of His commands.

Bamah

buildingOld Testament1 verse

Bamah is a structure mentioned in the Old Testament. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.

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Biblical History

Bamah, meaning simply 'high place' in Hebrew, represents both a specific term and a broader phenomenon central to Israelite religious history. The word appears in its most striking context in Ezekiel 20:29, where God rebukes Israel with a rhetorical question: 'What is this high place (bamah) to which you go?', condemning the persistent practice of offering worship at unauthorized elevated sites. High places (bamot) were ubiquitous features of Canaanite religion, typically situated on hilltops or raised platforms and equipped with altars, standing stones (masseboth), and sacred poles (asherim). Israel repeatedly fell into worshiping at these sites throughout the period of the judges and the monarchy, despite explicit divine prohibition. Even otherwise faithful kings such as Asa and Jehoshaphat left the high places standing (1 Kings 15:14; 22:43). The reforming kings Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4) and Josiah (2 Kings 23:8-20) famously dismantled the high places as part of their efforts to centralize worship at Jerusalem. Bamah thus represents the chronic temptation of syncretism, the blending of Israelite faith with surrounding pagan practices, that the prophets consistently condemned.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

Archaeological evidence for Israelite-period high places is substantial and widespread throughout the southern Levant. Excavated examples include the Iron Age bamah at Tel Dan, featuring a large stone platform interpreted as an altar complex, and the high place at Megiddo. A well-preserved example from the Middle Bronze Age was found at Nahariyah on the Mediterranean coast. At Arad, a small Israelite temple with an altar and standing stones was discovered, illustrating the tension between centralized and local worship. The Gezer high place features a row of standing stones consistent with biblical descriptions of masseboth. Hundreds of small limestone altars and clay figurines recovered from domestic contexts across Israel attest to the widespread practice of local and household worship that the biblical writers repeatedly censure.

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezek

Ezek 20:29

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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