Hershel Shanks

The Holy of Holies, or innermost room, of the temple to Yahweh at Arad was entered through a small niche flanked by two limestone incense altars; at the rear of the chamber stood two masseboth, or sacred standing stones (the altars and masseboth shown here are replicas, the originals having been removed to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem). Built in the tenth century B.C.E., the Arad temple remained in use until it was destroyed during the religious reforms of either Hezekiah in the late eighth century B.C.E. or Josiah in the late seventh.