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Photo Courtesy Yoel Elitzur

Scorch marks were found on an altar from Beer-Sheva. Constructed of hewn rectangular stones, this altar was originally found in pieces in secondary use—probably having been dismantled during the seventh-century B.C.E. religious reforms of King Hezekiah.

It was after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon in the sixth century B.C.E. that worship became fully centralized at the Temple in Jerusalem. At that point, local high places like the ones at Shiloh and Beer-Sheva ceased to be used.