(fl. 7th cent BCE)
King of Judah (640-609 BCE), son of Amnon. He was proclaimed king while still a child after his father was assassi-nated. His reign was marked by a great religious revival; he removed foreign cults and re-established monotheism. During the restoration of the Temple, Hilkiah, the high priest, announced the discovery of a book of the law. This prompted Josiah to convene an assembly of the people, during which he made a covenant with God. He also discontinued worship in the high places and centralized it in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.