מלכים ב, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״א

During the later years of the Judean monarchy, a physical and foreign cult of sun worship infiltrated the very heart of Jerusalem and the Temple grounds. As part of a massive campaign to purify the land from idolatry, King Josiah took decisive action to uproot these practices, which featured grand processions of animals and chariots designed to mimic the path of celestial bodies.

Introduced likely by Kings Manasseh and Amon, this cult involved horses pulling specific sun chariots, symbolizing the daily movement of the sun across the sky [שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that earlier kings had dedicated these horses specifically so that worshippers could ride them each morning to greet the sunrise. The daily procession followed a specific route, beginning at the entrance of the Temple and moving eastward toward the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. Most commentators understand this to be the official's actual name [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק], though another perspective suggests it was a title indicating that the chamber was granted by the king to the appointed minister [אברבנאל]. This chamber was situated in an area known as the Parvarim. While some commentators note that the exact meaning of this location's name is unknown [רש״י], the accepted view is that it refers to the open spaces or suburbs of the city [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מנחת שי, שטיינזלץ], and that this official was responsible for overseeing those districts [רד״ק, רלב״ג].

This morning procession carried a severe symbolic weight. By marching from the Temple toward the eastern chamber where the actual worship likely took place, the participants were physically turning their backs on God's sanctuary to bow toward the east. This act stood in absolute defiance of the Torah's design, which intentionally established the Holy of Holies in the west precisely to distance the people from the practice of worshipping the sun as it rose in the east [רלב״ג, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].

To ensure this rebellion was completely eradicated, Josiah abolished the procession. Although Jewish law does not strictly forbid deriving benefit from animals that were previously used in idolatry, the king was meticulous in entirely retiring these horses from their activity [מלבי״ם]. Finally, he burned the sun chariots to ashes, destroying every last remnant of the cult.