A high place is a location in ancient Canaan where religious sacrifices were commonly performed. At the time, it was a widespread religious belief that communion with God was possible in high places, so high places were typically built on mountaintops, often where old, tall trees stood, for sacrifices. In Canaan at the time, there were many high places dedicated to Baal and Asherah.
Numbers 22:41In the morning, Balak took Balaam), and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.
그렇기에 성전이나 성막이 이스라엘 백성들에게 주어지기 이전 시대에는 자연스럽게 높은 곳에서 제사를 드렸고, 모세의 성막이 주어진 이후에도 큰 구별없이 산당에서 제사가 드려졌다.
Judges 2:12They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
그래서 사사시대를 지나 사무엘 역시 산당을 지어 제사를 지냈고 솔로몬이 성전을 지을 때까지는 그곳에서 하나님께 제사를 드렸던 것으로 보인다.
1 Samuel 9:12As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you will find him.”1 Samuel 9:13They went up to the city. As they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.1 Samuel 9:14Now Yahweh had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,
1 Chronicles 16:39to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in Yahweh’s law, which he commanded to Israel;
1 Chronicles 21:29But David couldn’t go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of Yahweh’s angel.
2 Chronicles 1:3But David) had brought God’s ark up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 1:13Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
1 Kings 11:6Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.1 Kings 11:7So he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
1 Kings 12:26If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam) king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”1 Kings 12:27So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”1 Kings 12:28He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.1 Kings 12:29This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.1 Kings 12:30He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.1 Kings 12:31Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel), sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
2 Chronicles 14:2for he took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles,2 Chronicles 14:3and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to obey his law and command.2 Chronicles 14:4Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.2 Chronicles 14:5He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
2 Chronicles 17:5His heart was lifted up in the ways of Yahweh. Furthermore, he took away the high places and the Asherah poles out of Judah.2 Chronicles 17:6Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;
여호람(유다왕), 아하스, 므낫세(유다왕)같은 왕들은 산당을 재건하였다.
2 Chronicles 21:9So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.2 Chronicles 21:10Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah), and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.2 Chronicles 21:11A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
2 Chronicles 28:24In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger.2 Chronicles 28:25Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
2 Kings 21:1He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.2 Kings 21:2For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.2 Kings 21:3He built altars in Yahweh’s house, of which Yahweh said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.”