בָּמָה

The Hebrew term בָּמָה (bamah) refers to a high place or elevation. In many contexts, it denotes a raised platform or natural hill used for religious rituals. These "high places" could be legitimate sanctuaries for the worship of Yahweh in early Israel, as seen in 1 Kings 3:4 where Solomon sacrifices at the great high place in Gibeon. However, the term most frequently carries a negative connotation, referring to unauthorized places of worship or sites dedicated to foreign deities. This duality reflects the evolving religious landscape of ancient Israel. It is sometimes rendered as either a natural elevation or a specifically constructed cultic site which would be found on mountains or artificial mounds. The term is sometimes used figuratively as in Habakkuk 3:19 where God enables the psalmist to walk on "high places," meaning a place of safety or triumph.

Throughout the Deuteronomistic history (Judges–Kings), the high places are consistently presented as a problem, a persistent challenge to the centralized worship commanded at the Jerusalem temple. Kings are often judged by whether they removed the high places or allowed them to persist, even if the worship conducted there was nominally directed toward Yahweh. The prophetic literature also condemns the high places, aligning them with idolatry and religious syncretism, as seen in Jeremiah 48:35 and Isaiah 15:2. The frequent command to destroy the high places underscores their significance as symbols of apostasy and deviation from pure Yahwistic worship. The high places thus represent a recurring tension in Israelite religion between local, decentralized worship and the ideal of a single, authorized sanctuary.