Unlike Ahaz, though, Manasseh, as a captive in Babylon, repented upon receiving this severe discipline from Jehovah, and undertook reforms upon returning to Jerusalem. (2 Chron. 33:10-16) His son Amon, however, reverted to sacrificing to the graven images.—2 Chron. 33:21-24.

Next came Josiah’s rule and a thorough eradication of idolatry in Judah. The sites of idolatrous worship were desecrated there and even in the cities of Samaria. The foreign-god priests and those making sacrificial smoke to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations of the zodiac and to all the army of the heavens, were put out of business. (2 Ki. 23:4-27; 2 Chron. 34:1-5) Still this large-scale campaign against idolatry did not effect permanent reform. The last four Judean kings, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, persisted in idolatry.—2 Ki. 23:31, 32, 36, 37; 24:8, 9, 18, 19; see ASTROLOGERS; HIGH PLACES; ZODIAC.

The references to idolatry in the writings of the prophets further cast light on what occurred during the last years of the kingdom of Judah. Sites of idolatry, ceremonial prostitution and child sacrifice continued to exist. (Jer. 3:6; 17:1-3; 19:2-5; 32:29, 35; Ezek. 6:3, 4) Even Levites were guilty of practicing idolatry. (Ezek. 44:10, 12, 13) Ezekiel, transported in vision to Jerusalem’s temple, there saw a detestable idol, “the symbol of jealousy,” and the veneration of representations of creeping things and loathsome beasts, as well as the according of reverence to the false god Tammuz and the sun.—Ezek. 8:3, 7-16.

Despite the fact that the Israelites adored idols to the point of sacrificing their own children, they carried on a semblance of worshiping Jehovah and reasoned that no calamity would befall them. (Jer. 7:4, 8-12; Ezek. 23:36-39) So empty-headed had the people in general become by reason of their pursuit of idolatry that when calamity did come and Jerusalem was desolated by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E., in fulfillment of Jehovah’s word, they attributed it to their failure to make sacrificial smoke and drink offerings to the “queen of the heavens.”—Jer. 44:15-18; see QUEEN OF HEAVEN.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TOWARD ISRAEL’S IDOLATRY

There were a number of factors that caused so many Israelites repeatedly to abandon true worship. Being one of the works of the flesh, idolatry appealed to the desires of the flesh. (Gal. 5:19-21) Once settled in the Promised Land, the Israelites may have observed their pagan neighbors, whom they had failed to drive out entirely, having good success with their crops by reason of longer experience in working the land. Likely many made inquiry and heeded the advice of their Canaanite neighbors as to what was needed to please the Baal or “Owner” of each piece of land.—Ps. 106:34-39.

Forming marriage alliances with idolaters was another inducement to apostatize. (Judg. 3:5, 6) The unrestrained sexual indulgence associated with idolatry proved to be no little temptation. At Shittim on the Plains of Moab, for instance, thousands of Israelites yielded to immorality and engaged in false worship. (Num. 22:1; 25:1-3) To some, being able to give way to drunkenness at the sanctuaries of false gods may have been tempting.—Amos 2:8.

Then there was the attraction of supposedly learning what the future might have in store, this stemming from a desire to be assured that all would go well. Examples of this are Saul’s consulting a spirit medium and Ahaziah’s sending to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron.—1 Sam. 28:6-11; 2 Ki. 1:2, 3; see BAAL-ZEBUB.

THE FOLLY OF IDOL WORSHIP

Time and again the Scriptures call attention to the foolishness of relying on gods of wood, stone or metal. Isaiah describes the manufacture of idols, and shows the stupidity of one who uses part of the wood of a tree to cook his food and to warm himself and then makes the remainder into a god to whom he looks for aid. (Isa. 44:9-20) In the day of Jehovah’s fury, wrote Isaiah, false worshipers would throw their worthless idols to the shrewmice and to the bats. (Isa. 2:19-21) “Woe to the one saying to the piece of wood: ‘O do awake!’ to a dumb stone: ‘O wake up!’” (Hab. 2:19) Those making dumb idols will become just like them, that is, lifeless.—Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18; see Revelation 9:20.

VIEWPOINT OF GOD’S SERVANTS TOWARD IDOLATRY

Faithful servants of Jehovah have always regarded idols with abhorrence. In Scripture, false gods and idols are repeatedly referred to in contemptible terms, as being valueless (1 Chron. 16:26; Ps. 96:5; 97:7), horrible (1 Ki. 15:13; 2 Chron. 15:16), shameful (Jer. 11:13; Hos. 9:10), detestable (Ezek. 16:36, 37) and disgusting. (Ezek. 37:23) Often mention is made of “dungy idols,” this expression being a rendering of the Hebrew word gil·lu·limʹ, which is believed to be derived from a word meaning “dung pellets.” This term of contempt, first appearing at Leviticus 26:30, is found nearly forty times in the book of Ezekiel alone, beginning with chapter 6, verse 4.

Faithful Job recognized that even if his heart became enticed in secrecy at beholding heavenly bodies such as the moon and his ‘hand proceeded to kiss his mouth’ (the hand touching the mouth, in effect, being a kiss given to the mouth by the hand) this would have constituted a denial of God, hence idolatry. (Job 31:26-28; compare Deuteronomy 4:15, 19.) With reference to a practicer of righteousness, Jehovah said through the prophet Ezekiel, “his eyes he did not raise to the dungy idols of the house of Israel,” that is, to offer supplication to them or in expectation of help.—Ezek. 18:5, 6.

Another fine example of shunning idolatry was that of the three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who, although threatened with death in the fiery furnace, refused to bow before the image of gold erected by King Nebuchadnezzar in the Plain of Dura.—Dan. chap. 3.

The early Christians heeded the inspired counsel: “Flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14), and image makers viewed Christianity as a threat to their profitable business. (Acts 19:23-27) As testified to by secular historians, remaining free from idolatry often placed Christians living in the Roman Empire in a position similar to that of the three Hebrews. Acknowledging the divine character of the emperor as head of the state by offering a pinch of incense could have spared such Christians from death, but few compromised. Those early Christians fully appreciated that once having turned away from idols to serve the true God (1 Thess. 1:9), to return to idolatry would mean being debarred from the New Jerusalem and losing out on the prize of life.—Rev. 21:8; 22:14, 15.

Servants of Jehovah must guard themselves from idols (1 John 5:21), even today. It was foretold that great pressures would be brought to bear against all the inhabitants of the earth to worship the symbolic “wild beast” and its “image.” None who persist in such idolatrous worship will receive God’s gift of life everlasting. “Here is where it means endurance for the holy ones.”—Rev. 13:15-17; 14:9-12; see DISGUSTING THING, LOATHSOME THING.

IDOLS, MEATS OFFERED TO

In the pagan world of the first century C.E., it was a common practice to offer meats to idols ceremonially. On such occasions parts of the sacrificial animal victim were placed on the idol altar, a certain portion went to the priests and the remainder went to the worshipers, who would use it for a meal or feast, either in the temple or in a private house. Financial need or desire for selfish gain often resulted in some of the flesh being turned over to the maʹkel·lon or meat market to be sold.

Many persons before becoming Christians had been accustomed to eating meats offered to idols with a feeling of reverence for the idol. (1 Cor. 8:7) In so doing these former pagans had been sharers with the demon god represented by the idol. (1 Cor. 10:20) Quite fittingly, therefore, by formal letter from Jerusalem, the governing body of the early Christian congregation, under the guidance of the holy spirit, forbade such formal, religious eating of meats offered to idols, thus safeguarding Christians from idolatry in this regard.—Acts 15:19-23, 28, 29.

Christians, like those living in pagan Corinth, were faced with a number of questions in this matter. Could they conscientiously go into an idol temple and eat meat, doing so with no thought of honoring the idol? And, would there be any objection to buying from the maʹkel·lon meats that had been ceremonially offered to idols? Finally, how should a Christian handle this matter when eating as a guest in someone else’s home?

Under inspiration Paul provided the Corinthian Christians with timely information to aid them in making the correct decisions. Although an “idol is nothing,” it would not be advisable for a Christian to go to an idol temple to eat meat, because he could thereby be giving spiritually weak observers the wrong impression. Such observers might conclude that the Christian was worshiping the idol, and could be stumbled thereby, or it could even lead such weaker ones to the point of actually eating meats sacrificed to idols in religious ceremony, in direct violation of the decree of the governing body. There was also the danger that the Christian eater would violate his own conscience and yield to idol worship.—1 Cor. 8:1-13.

Since the ceremonial offering of meats to idols produced no change in the meat, the Christian could, however, with a good conscience buy meat from a market that received some of its meat from religious temples. This meat had lost its “sacred” significance. It was just as good as any other meat, and the Christian was therefore not under obligation to make inquiry respecting its origin.

Furthermore, the Christian, upon being invited to a meal, did not have to make inquiry concerning the source of the meat, but could eat it with a good conscience. If, however, an individual present at the meal were to remark that the meat had been “offered in sacrifice,” then the Christian would refrain from eating it to avoid stumbling anyone.—1 Cor. 10:25-29.

The words of the glorified Jesus Christ to John, respecting the Christian congregations at Pergamum and Thyatira, indicate that certain ones had failed to heed the apostolic decree in not keeping themselves clean from things sacrificed to idols.—Rev. 2:12, 14, 18, 20.

IDUMEA

(Id·u·meʹa) [Gr., (land) of the Edomites].

In Maccabean and Roman times the geographical boundaries of Idumea did not include the heartland of ancient Edom E of the Arabah but embraced parts of what had formerly been Simeonite and Judean territory. As indicated by the apocryphal book of First Maccabees (4:29, 61; 5:65, JB), Idumea included the region around Hebron as far N as Beth-zur, about sixteen miles (26 kilometers) S-SW of Jerusalem. It is reported that the Idumeans suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Judas Maccabaeus. (1 Maccabees 5:3) Later, according to Josephus, John Hyrcanus subdued all the Idumeans, allowing them to remain in the land on condition that they submit to circumcision and adhere to Jewish law. Rather than leave the country, the Idumeans complied with this condition. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XIII, chap. IX, par. 1) Inhabitants of Idumea were among those who personally came to Jesus upon hearing of the “many things he was doing.”—Mark 3:8; see EDOM, EDOMITES; HEROD.

IEZER

(Ieʹzer), Iezerites (Ieʹzer·ites).

Iezer is a shortened form of the name Abi-ezer, the prefix “Ab” (father) being removed. He and his descendants, the Iezerites, were of the “sons of Gilead.”—Num. 26:30; see ABI-EZER No. 1; ABI-EZRITE.

IGAL

(Iʹgal) [he (God) redeems].

1. Chieftain of the tribe of Issachar sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan.—Num. 13:1-3, 7.

2. One of King David’s mighty men; son of Nathan of Zobah.—2 Sam. 23:8, 36.

3. A man of the tribe of Judah who descended from Governor Zerubbabel and was of the royal line of David.—1 Chron. 3:1, 19-22.

IGDALIAH

(Ig·da·liʹah) [great is Jehovah].

Father of Hanan; “a man of the true God.”—Jer. 35:3, 4.

IIM

(Iʹim) [heaps, ruins].

A city in southern Judah. (Josh. 15:21, 29) Its exact location is uncertain. However, some suggest as a possible identification Deir el-Ghawi about sixteen miles (26 kilometers) S-SW of Hebron.

IJON

(Iʹjon).

One of the places taken by the military forces of Syria’s King Ben-hadad I about 962-961 B.C.E. during the reign of Baasha. (1 Ki. 15:20, 21; 2 Chron. 16:4) Nearly two centuries later Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III conquered Ijon and exiled its population. (2 Ki. 15:29) Geographers generally link Ijon with Tell ed-Dibbin about twenty miles (c. 32 kilometers) N of Lake Huleh (now mostly drained). But some question this identification on the claim that surface exploration of the mound has not revealed any evidence of occupation in the period referred to in Scripture. However, those favoring the commonly proposed identification attribute the absence of such evidence at the base of Tell ed-Dibbin to the well-preserved ancient walls that have prevented spillage from the mound.

IKKESH

(Ikʹkesh) [crooked, perverse].

The Tekoite whose son Ira was one of King David’s mighty men.—2 Sam. 23:8, 26; 1 Chron. 11:26, 28; 27:9.

ILAI

(Iʹlai) [elevated].

An Ahohite; a mighty man of David’s military forces, apparently called Zalmon in 2 Samuel 23:28.—1 Chron. 11:26, 29.

ILLEGITIMATE

Not according to law. The Hebrew word for an illegitimate child is mam·zerʹ, a word of uncertain etymology, possibly related to an Arabic word meaning “corrupt, foul, polluted,” pointing to the corruptness or pollution of such one’s birth.

At Deuteronomy 23:2 the Law reads: “No illegitimate son may come into the congregation of Jehovah. Even to the tenth generation none of his may come into the congregation of Jehovah.” The number ten representing completeness, the “tenth” generation would mean that such ones could never come into the congregation. The same law is stated regarding the Ammonite and the Moabite, and there the words are added, “to time indefinite,” which makes the