What did King Josiah discover that made him sad?

Answer 1

A:2 Kings chapters 22-23 says that the book of law, identified by scholars as the Book of Deuteronomy, was found in the Temple during the reign of King Josiah of Judah, during renovations. 2 Kings 22:11 says that Josiah rent his clothes when the book was read to him, because he realised that Judah had not been following the Word of the Lord. He went on to institute religious reforms that lead to monotheistic Judaism.

Scholars believe the book was actually written during this time and only placed in the Temple in order to be 'found' there. This view is founded on good grounds, given the evidence that the religious authorities were well aware of the practice and made use of it on at least one other occasion. Jeremiah chapter 36 tells how just a few years later, the scribes hid another scroll in the Temple, to be found and read to the king. Whether the king was being manipulated by his priests, or had ordered this ruse as a means to convince the people to accept his reforms, or even whether the story was written into 2 Kings during the Babylonian Exile, are present matters for debate among scholars.