BAMÁH (Hebr. “height”; plural bāmāth). — In biblical language, these are places of worship—both idolatrous and Yahwistic—often erected on natural or artificial heights.
The Septuagint translates it as στήλη in the Pentateuch, τὰ ὄψηλά or τὰ ὄψηναι, ἀντίβειναι.
The primitive b., of Canaanite origin and dating from the Neolithic period, consisted of basin-shaped hollows in the rock, perhaps intended to receive libations and the blood of victims. Those discovered at Megiddo, Ta'annak, Tell es-Šafi, 'Ajn-Šems, Bejsan, 'Abdeh, on Mount Gerizim, and especially those at Gezer, have the following elements in common: a spacious area (approximately 30 m.), perhaps chosen because it was closer to heaven, on a height with broad panoramas, intended for public use; a simple or double cave (the adytum of the deity), reserved for the priests; gigantic stone stelae (v. MAŠŠEHÁH) (the eight at Gezer range from 1.65 to 3.28 m. in height; but it is not certain that they had religious significance), sometimes phal-
lic, and therefore symbols of life, with hollows at the top and conventional signs on the walls, erected around a smaller stele that perhaps represented the object of the ancient cult, the betyl; a block of stone (the altar?) beside the maššēbhāth; a green branch or stake driven into the ground, merely roughly shaped, a stylization of the sacred grove symbolizing the 'Āšērāh (the feminine principle); a pit for receiving the remains of the victims; reservoirs for water where springs were lacking; and an enclosing wall of the sacred place, regarded as hērem. A b. seems to be reproduced on the bronze object from Susa known as the Sit Šamši, “the rising of the sun,” dedicated by Šilhah-in-Šušinak (Elamite king, end of the twelfth century B.C.).
The Bible mentions the 'Āšērāh, pl. 'Āšērīm (Deut. 12, 4; 7, 5, etc.), the hammānīm (Lev. 26, 30; II Par. 14, 4) (v. BA'ALBEK), tents (Ez. 16, 16, 18), and altars erected on elevated hills and mountain peaks, beneath leafy trees, where incense was burned and food offerings were made to idols (Os. 4, 13; Ez. 6, 13), as well as banquets (Ez. 22, 9). Among the b. have been found, among other things, bronze daggers, libation bowls, burnt vessels, perfumes, votive objects of every kind, terracotta figurines representing people, animals, and bronze serpents (connected with fertility rites), etc.; in the caves, jars containing the bodies of newborn infants (seven days old), and animal bones, including those of pigs and some bearing traces of fire.
The prophets call such b. places of wickedness (Os. 4,13 ff.; 10,8; Mi. 1,5). Human sacrifices are mentioned, for example, in Ier. 7,31; 19,5; Ez. 6,4,13; 16,20 ff. The idolatrous b. were indeed inexorably condemned to destruction by Mosaic legislation (Deut. 12,4; 5; 7,5; Ex. 23,24; Num. 33,52); but the Israelites often venerated them and even promoted them in the northern kingdom (Os. 10,8, 9; Am. 8,14; I Reg. 12,31; 13,32; II Reg. 17, 29,32; 23,7,19; Ez. 6,3-6).
The Yahwistic b., whose worship was in accord with monotheism, and which were erected in places sanctified by theophanies or by the presence of the Mosaic tabernacle (that of Gabaon: “the great b.”; cf. I Reg., 3, 2-5; I Par., 16, 39; 21, 29; II Par., 1, 3, 13), or of the Ark, or because they had been designated by the prophets or by tradition (Silo, Rama, Galgala, Bethel, Gabaa, Hebron, Carmel: cf. I Sam., 9, 12-14, 19, 25; 10, 5, 13; etc.), were not condemned, at least at first (cf. I Reg., 3, 2, 5; 19, 10), also because of the lesser centralization of worship (cf. I Reg., 8, 16; II Sam., 7, 6, 7); but, as time progressed and the centralization of worship became more pronounced, one finds passages such as those in the books of Kings and Paralipomenon that praise the attempts made by Ezechia and Josia to eradicate them, and reproach Asa, Josafat, Joas, Amasia, Azaria, and Joatham for tolerating them. Perhaps the attempts made by Asa and Josafat remained without result. Josia summoned to Jerusalem the Levitical priests who had entered the service of the b., while nevertheless forbidding them to ascend the Lord’s altar (II Reg. 23, 5-9; II Par. 37, 3-7, 32 ff.). After the exile, the b. are no longer mentioned.