Corruption, Mount of
Identity and Location
The Mount of Corruption is identified as the southern extension of the Mount of Olives, the ridge east of Jerusalem separated from the city by the Kidron Valley. In 2 Kings 23:13, it is described as the hill to the right (south) of the Mount of Destruction (or Corruption) where Solomon had built high places for foreign gods. In later Christian tradition, this southern summit became known as the "Mount of Offence," and in Arabic it is called Baten el-Hawa.
The Hebrew name har ha-mashchith ("mount of corruption" or "mount of destruction") is likely a deliberate wordplay on har ha-mishchah ("mount of anointing"), an alternative name for the Mount of Olives. The corruption of the name from "anointing" to "destruction" reflects the theological judgment that Solomon's idolatry had defiled a sacred place.
Solomon's High Places
The origin of the Mount of Corruption's dark reputation lies in 1 Kings 11:7-8, where Solomon, influenced by his foreign wives, built high places on the hill east of Jerusalem for multiple pagan deities. He erected a shrine for Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Milcom (also known as Molech), the god of the Ammonites. These were not minor concessions but full-scale cultic installations where worship of foreign gods took place within sight of the temple of the Lord.
Solomon's actions represented a catastrophic failure of the king who had built God's temple. The man who had prayed at the temple's dedication for God's exclusive worship in Israel now sponsored rival worship sites on the adjacent hillside. This apostasy was directly cited as the reason God tore the kingdom from Solomon's dynasty, leaving only one tribe under his descendants (1 Kings 11:11-13).
Josiah's Reformation
The high places on the Mount of Corruption stood for approximately three centuries before King Josiah finally destroyed them during his sweeping religious reforms around 622 BC. According to 2 Kings 23:13, Josiah "desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption — the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon."
Josiah broke the sacred stones, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones to render them permanently unclean (2 Kings 23:14). His thorough desecration ensured these sites could never be used for worship again.
The Irony of Location
The Mount of Corruption's location directly across the Kidron Valley from the temple creates a powerful visual and theological contrast. The temple represented God's chosen dwelling and the center of legitimate worship. The high places on the adjacent hill represented everything the temple stood against. That Solomon himself created this juxtaposition — building both the temple and the idolatrous shrines — makes the Mount of Corruption a lasting symbol of the divided heart that can serve God and idols simultaneously.
Later Significance
The Mount of Olives, of which the Mount of Corruption forms the southern ridge, became significant again in the New Testament. Jesus frequently visited the Mount of Olives, prayed in Gethsemane on its western slope, and ascended to heaven from its summit (Acts 1:12). The mount that had once been associated with corruption and idolatry became associated with Christ's prayer, suffering, and victory.
Biblical Context
The Mount of Corruption is referenced in 2 Kings 23:13 during Josiah's reforms and is connected to Solomon's construction of high places in 1 Kings 11:7-8. The broader narrative includes Solomon's apostasy (1 Kings 11:1-13) and Josiah's reformation (2 Kings 23:4-20). The Mount of Olives features prominently in New Testament accounts of Jesus's ministry.
Theological Significance
The Mount of Corruption illustrates how even the wisest and most blessed leaders can fall into catastrophic unfaithfulness. Solomon's high places, built in direct view of God's temple, represent the human capacity to divide allegiance between God and idols. The name change from 'Mount of Anointing' to 'Mount of Corruption' reflects how sin defiles what was once holy. Josiah's destruction of these sites centuries later demonstrates that God's purposes for purity ultimately prevail.
Historical Background
The southern ridge of the Mount of Olives, identified as the Mount of Corruption, offers commanding views of the temple mount across the Kidron Valley. Archaeological surveys of the area have found evidence of cultic activity, though the specific Solomonic high places have not been conclusively identified. The worship of Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom is well documented in ancient Near Eastern sources. Josiah's reforms around 622 BC, prompted by the discovery of the Book of the Law, are among the best-attested events in Judah's history.