ABSTRACT This article examines the concept of cult centralization, typically reserved for describing the religious reforms of the Judahite kings Hezekiah and Josiah. I argue that this terminology need not be reserved for these two monarchs, but, rather, that cult centralization manifests in multiple ways throughout the ancient Near East. Through three case studies, I suggest the ways in which cult centralization manifests, concluding that its method of implementation is intimately connected to its long‐term success.
Shane M. Thompson (Fri,) studied this question.