Editing Ahaz (section)

===Religious observance===
Ahaz yielded readily to the glamour and prestige of the Assyrians in religion as well as in politics. In 732, he went to Damascus to swear homage to Tiglath-Pileser and his gods; and, taking a fancy to an altar which he saw there, he had one like it made in Jerusalem, which, with a corresponding change in ritual, he made a permanent feature of the Temple worship. Changes were also made in the arrangements and furniture of the Temple, "because of the king of Assyria" ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|16:18|HE}}). Furthermore, Ahaz fitted up an astrological observatory with accompanying sacrifices, after the fashion of the ruling people. In other ways Ahaz lowered the character of the national worship.

{{bibleverse|2|Kings|16:3|HE}} records that Ahaz offered his son by fire to [[Moloch]] (or ''made his son pass through fire''), a practice condemned by {{bibleverse||Leviticus|18:21|HE}}.<ref name=je /> The words may refer to a ceremony of purification or a sacrificial offering.<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/2_kings/16.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 2 Kings 16], accessed 14 January 2018</ref> The account in {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|28:3|HE}} refers to ''sons'' (plural).

His government is considered by the [[Deuteronomist|Deuteronomistic historian]] as having been disastrous for the religious state of the country, and a large part of the reforming work of his son Hezekiah was aimed at undoing the evil that Ahaz had done.<ref name=je/>