מלכים ב, פרק י״ב, פסוק ד׳

Even with a central Temple established for national worship, the desire for personal, local religious expression remained deeply embedded in the culture of the people. Throughout the land, individuals maintained private altars. These local sites were not built for idol worship. Instead, they were dedicated entirely to offering sacrifices to God.

The primary approach among commentators is that offering sacrifices on these private altars was strictly forbidden from the moment the central Temple was completed. The law required all such worship to take place exclusively in the central sanctuary. However, this strict prohibition did not stop the people. Offering personal sacrifices to God in their own local settings remained a widespread and deeply popular practice throughout the nation during that era.