This was directly opposed to the customs of the heathen idolaters, in offering their sacrifices on the tops of hills and mountains. "And thither¹ ye shall bringª° your burnt offerings,ª and your sacrifices,ª and your tithes,ª and¹ heave offeringsª of your hand,ª and your vows,ª and your freewill offerings,ª and the firstlingsª of your herdsª and of your flocks:ª" {Deu 12:6} + "Speakª° unto¹ Aaron,ª and unto¹ his sons,ª and unto¹ all¹ the childrenª of Israel,ª and sayª° unto¹ them; This¹ [is] the thingª which¹ the LORDª hath commanded,ª° saying,ª° ... To the end¹ that¹ the childrenª of Israelª may bringª°¹ their sacrifices,ª which¹ they¹ offerª° in¹ the openª field,ª even that they may bringª° them unto the LORD,ª unto¹ the doorª of the tabernacleª of the congregation,ª unto¹ the priest,ª and offerª° them [for] peaceª offeringsª unto the LORD.ª" {Lev 17:2-5} + "Whereupon the kingª took counsel,ª° and madeª° twoª calvesª [of] gold,ª and saidª° unto¹ them, It is too muchª for you to go upª°¹ to Jerusalem:ª behold¹ thy gods,ª O Israel,ª which¹ brought¹ thee up²° out of the landª¹ of Egypt.ª ... And Jeroboamª ordainedª° a feastª in the eighthª month,ª on the fifteenthªª dayª of the month,ª like unto the feastª that¹ [is] in Judah,ª and he offeredª° upon¹ the altar.ª So¹ didª° he in Bethel,ª sacrificingª° unto the calvesª that¹ he had made:ª° and he placedª° in Bethelª¹ the priestsª of the high placesª which¹ he had made.ª°" {1Kg 12:28-32} + "And he didª° evilª in the sightª of the LORD,ª and walked²°¹ in the wayª of Jeroboam,ª and in his sinª wherewith¹ he made Israel² to sin.ª°¹¹" {1Kg 15:34} + "But the high placesª were not¹ taken awayª° out of Israel:ª¹ nevertheless¹ the heartª of Asaª was¹ perfectª all¹ his days.ª" {2Ch 15:17}