וְהַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ רַק לְבַב־אָסָא הָיָה שָׁלֵם עִם־ה' כָּל־יָמָיו׃
Melachim Alef: 15:14
אַךְ הַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ עוֹד הָעָם מְזַבְּחִים וּמְקַטְּרִים בַּבָּמוֹת׃
Melachim Alef: 22:44
רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ עוֹד הָעָם מְזַבְּחִים וּמְקַטְּרִים בַּבָּמוֹת׃
Melachim Bet: 12:4
רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ עוֹד הָעָם מְזַבְּחִים וּמְקַטְּרִים בַּבָּמוֹת׃
Melachim Bet: 14:4
רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ עוֹד הָעָם מְזַבְּחִים וּמְקַטְּרִים בַּבָּמוֹת׃
Melachim Bet: 15:4
וְהַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ רַק לְבַב־אָסָא הָיָה שָׁלֵם עִם־ה' כָּל־יָמָיו׃
Melachim Bet: 15:14
רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא סָרוּ עוֹד הָעָם מְזַבְּחִים וּמְקַטְּרִים בַּבָּמוֹת הוּא בָּנָה אֶת־שַׁעַר בֵּית־ה' הָעֶלְיוֹן׃
Melachim Bet: 15:35
בִימֵי אֱנוֹשׁ טָעוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם טָעוּת גָּדוֹל וְנִבְעֲרָה עֲצַת חַכְמֵי אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר וֶאֱנוֹשׁ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַטּוֹעִים הָיָה. וְזוֹ הָיְתָה טָעוּתָם. אָמְרוּ הוֹאִיל וְהָאֱלֹקִים בָּרָא כּוֹכָבִים אֵלּוּ וְגַלְגַּלִּים לְהַנְהִיג אֶת הָעוֹלָם וּנְתָנָם בַּמָּרוֹם וְחָלַק לָהֶם כָּבוֹד וְהֵם שַׁמָּשִׁים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁים לְפָנָיו רְאוּיִין הֵם לְשַׁבְּחָם וּלְפָאֲרָם וְלַחֲלֹק לָהֶם כָּבוֹד. וְזֶהוּ רְצוֹן הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְגַדֵּל וּלְכַבֵּד מִי שֶׁגִּדְּלוֹ וְכִבְּדוֹ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ רוֹצֶה לְכַבֵּד הָעוֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו וְזֶהוּ כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָלָה דָּבָר זֶה עַל לִבָּם הִתְחִילוּ לִבְנוֹת לַכּוֹכָבִים הֵיכָלוֹת וּלְהַקְרִיב לָהֶן קָרְבָּנוֹת וּלְשַׁבְּחָם וּלְפָאֲרָם בִּדְבָרִים וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְמוּלָם כְּדֵי לְהַשִּׂיג רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא בְּדַעְתָּם הָרָעָה. וְזֶה הָיָה עִקַּר עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. וְכָךְ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים עוֹבְדֶיהָ הַיּוֹדְעִים עִקָּרָהּ. לֹא שֶׁהֵן אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין שָׁם אֱלוֹקַּ אֶלָּא כּוֹכָב זֶה. הוּא שֶׁיִּרְמְיָהוּ אוֹמֵר מִי לֹא יִרָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי לְךָ יָאָתָה כִּי בְכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ וּבְאַחַת יִבְעֲרוּ וְיִכְסָלוּ מוּסַר הֲבָלִים עֵץ הוּא. כְּלוֹמַר הַכּל יוֹדְעִים שֶׁאַתָּה הוּא לְבַדְּךָ אֲבָל טָעוּתָם וּכְסִילוּתָם שֶׁמְּדַמִּים שֶׁזֶּה הַהֶבֶל רְצוֹנְךָ הוּא: וְאַחַר שֶׁאָרְכוּ הַיָּמִים עָמְדוּ בִּבְנֵי הָאָדָם נְבִיאֵי שֶׁקֶר וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁהָאֵל צִוָּה וְאָמַר לָהֶם עִבְדוּ כּוֹכָב פְּלוֹנִי אוֹ כָּל הַכּוֹכָבִים וְהַקְרִיבוּ לוֹ וְנַסְּכוּ לוֹ כָּךְ וְכָךְ וּבְנוּ לוֹ הֵיכָל וַעֲשׂוּ צוּרָתוֹ כְּדֵי לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לוֹ כָּל הָעָם הַנָּשִׁים וְהַקְּטַנִּים וּשְׁאָר עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ. וּמוֹדִיעַ לָהֶם צוּרָה שֶׁבָּדָה מִלִּבּוֹ וְאוֹמֵר זוֹ הִיא צוּרַת הַכּוֹכָב פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁהוֹדִיעוּהוּ בִּנְבוּאָתוֹ. וְהִתְחִילוּ עַל דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת צוּרוֹת בַּהֵיכָלוֹת וְתַחַת הָאִילָנוֹת וּבְרָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת וּמִתְקַבְּצִין וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לָהֶם וְאוֹמְרִים לְכָל הָעָם שֶׁזּוֹ הַצּוּרָה מֵיטִיבָה וּמְרֵעָה וְרָאוּי לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְיִרְאָה מִמֶּנָּה. וְכֹהֲנֵיהֶם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם שֶׁבַּעֲבוֹדָה זוֹ תִּרְבּוּ וְתַצְלִיחוּ וַעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ וְכָךְ וְאַל תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ וְכָךְ. וְהִתְחִילוּ כּוֹזְבִים אֲחֵרִים לַעֲמֹד וְלוֹמַר שֶׁהַכּוֹכָב עַצְמוֹ אוֹ הַגַּלְגַּל אוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ דִּבֵּר עִמָּהֶם וְאָמַר לָהֶם עִבְדוּנִי בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ וְהוֹדִיעַ לָהֶם דֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וַעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ וְאַל תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ. וּפָשַׁט דָּבָר זֶה בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם לַעֲבֹד אֶת הַצּוּרוֹת בַּעֲבוֹדוֹת מְשֻׁנּוֹת זוֹ מִזּוֹ וּלְהַקְרִיב לָהֶם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאָרְכוּ הַיָּמִים נִשְׁתַּכַּח הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד וְהַנּוֹרָא מִפִּי כָּל הַיְקוּם וּמִדַּעְתָּם וְלֹא הִכִּירוּהוּ וְנִמְצְאוּ כָּל עַם הָאָרֶץ הַנָּשִׁים וְהַקְּטַנִּים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים אֶלָּא הַצּוּרָה שֶׁל עֵץ וְשֶׁל אֶבֶן וְהַהֵיכָל שֶׁל אֲבָנִים שֶׁנִּתְחַנְּכוּ מִקַּטְנוּתָם לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לָהּ וּלְעָבְדָהּ וּלְהִשָּׁבַע בִּשְׁמָהּ. וְהַחֲכָמִים שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶם כְּגוֹן כֹּהֲנֵיהֶם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן מְדַמִּין שֶׁאֵין שָׁם אֱלוֹקַּ אֶלָּא הַכּוֹכָבִים וְהַגַּלְגַּלִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ הַצּוּרוֹת הָאֵלּוּ בִּגְלָלָם וּלְדַמּוֹתָן. אֲבָל צוּר הָעוֹלָמִים לֹא הָיָה שׁוּם אָדָם שֶׁהָיָה מַכִּירוֹ וְלֹא יוֹדְעוֹ אֶלָּא יְחִידִים בָּעוֹלָם כְּגוֹן חֲנוֹךְ וּמְתוּשֶׁלַח נֹחַ שֵׁם וְעֵבֶר. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הָיָה הָעוֹלָם הוֹלֵךְ וּמִתְגַּלְגֵּל עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד עַמּוּדוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְהוּא אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ:
In the days of Enosh, the sons of man erred exceedingly, the advice of the wise man of that generation was nullified, and even Enosh himself was among the victims of that folly. Their mistake was this: Seeing, said they, that God created these stars and planets to rule the world, that He placed them high above to share honors with them, for they are ministers who render service in his presence, it is proper that they be praised and glorified and honored, this is the will of God, to exalt and honor him whom He exalted and honored, even as a king desires to honor those who stand in his presence, for such is the honor of the king. As soon as this matter was rooted in their heart, they commenced to erect temples in honor of the stars, to offer sacrifices to them, to praise and glorify them in words, and bow down to them in order to reach the will of God by this evil idea. This was the groundwork for the worship of stars. Thus was the statement of its adherents who knew the principles thereof; not that they asserted that there was no God save a particular star. This is as Jeremiah says: "Who would not fear Thee, O King of the nations? For it befitted Thee; Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royalty, there is none like unto Thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish; the vanities by which they are instructed are but a stock" (Jer. 10.7–8). As if saying: All know that Thou art Alone; but their mistake and foolishness is in supposing that this vanity is Thy will.1Maimonides bases his contention on Gen. 4.26. G. In the long process of time, there arose among the sons of man false prophets, who asserted that God commanded them saying: "Worship yon star, or all of the stars, and offer sacrifices to it, and compound for it thus and such, and erect a temple for it, and hew its image so that all of the people, women and children and the rest of the populace included, bow down to it". He, moreover, describes for them a form which he invented and tells them that this was the image of yon star which was pointed out to him in his prophecy. In this manner they commenced to draw images in temples, beneath trees, upon mountain-tops and elevated places, where they congregated to bow down to them and sermonize to the people, saying: "This image has it in its power to do good and evil, and it is proper to worship it, and be in awe of it." Their priests, moreover, say unto them: "By this worship you will increase and succeed; do thus and such, but not that and this". Then still other frauds rose up to assert that the star itself, or the planet, or the angel spoke to them and instructed saying: "Worship me thus and such", and thereat made known to them the way to worship them, instructing them, "Do so but do not do so". In this manner this thing spread throughout the world, and the worship of images with varied ceremonies, to sacrifice to them and to bow down to them was inaugurated. After the lapse of a long time the Glorified and Awful Name was forgotten to be mentioned by the mouth of all substance and blotted out from their consciousness, so that they gave Him no recognition, as a consequence whereof all the people of the earth as well as women and little children knew not save the image of wood and stone, the stony temple wherein they were brought up from their infancy to bow down to it, to worship it and to swear by its name. As for their wise man, for example, their priests and their like, they supposed that there was no God save the stars and planets for whose sake, and in whose likeness, those images were made; but the Rock of Ages not a man was there to recognize Him or know Him, save some individuals in the whole world, for example, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, and Eber. And, on this path the world continued its course of circuity until the birth of the firmest pillar of the world, Abraham our father.
“In the Persian period (the post-exilic period), we find a very strange phenomenon: In the areas of the country occupied by Jews, not a single cultic figurine has been found! This despite the many excavations, as well as surveys, that have been conducted in Judea and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in Samaria… In areas outside the region settled by the returning exiles, we continue to find a great number of assemblages of cultic figurines… Apparently, pagan cults ceased to exist among the Judeans, who purified their worship.
What Happened to the Cultic Figurines? Israelite Religion Purified After the Exile, Biblical Archaeology Review 15, no. 4 [July-August 1989]: 22-29, 53-54 as cited in R’ Hayyim Angel Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi: Prophecy in an Age of Uncertainty, Maggid Studies in Tanakh(2016) p. 70