King Josiah
Josiah was just eight years old when he became king of Judah (Judea) circa 600 BCE.
King Josiah is described as a good and just king, who did everything he could to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of offering mounds and pagan idols. An ancient book of laws was found during the cleansing of a temple. It was read aloud to the entire population. It showed how far the country had strayed from God’s Word. Josiah reintroduced the commemoration of Passover, which had not been done since the days of King Solomon. During the festival, many animals were ritually sacrificed. This process is called Josiah’s Reform.
The statue
The statue depicts Josiah as a young, beardless king with a crown and sceptre. The plinth depicts the sacrifice of animals at the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem.
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The sculpture
The sculpture was modelled by Knut Skinnarland and carved by Per Jensen in 1971.
