The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein

Episode Title: Josiah & The Hidden Scroll
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Yael Eckstein (with narration and dramatized segments)
Podcast: Pray.com

Overview

In this gripping, dramatized retelling, “Josiah & The Hidden Scroll” explores the early life and reign of King Josiah of Judah—a boy traumatized by the violence and idolatry of his father’s rule, who becomes the nation’s hope for spiritual renewal. The episode plunges listeners into Judah’s darkest rituals, the haunting legacy of King Amon, and a transformative rediscovery of the long-lost scroll of God’s Law. Through immersive storytelling, the episode examines generational trauma, the struggle for faith, and the possibility of national repentance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trauma of Idolatry and the Valley of Hinnom (01:58 – 08:44)

• Opening Scene: A young Josiah is forced by his father, King Amon, to witness Molech worship in the Valley of Hinnom, where child sacrifice takes place. The vivid, sensory-laden depiction draws the audience directly into Josiah’s horror.

  • “The valley of Hinnom stretched out beneath the night sky, a ghastly wound carved into the earth, swollen with fire and agony…” (01:58)
  • The narration interweaves drumming, chants, and the pleas of a mother—a deeply emotional catalyst for Josiah’s lifelong aversion to idol worship.

• Confrontation of Father and Son:

  • Josiah opposes what he sees: “This. This is wrong.” (08:42 - Josiah)
  • King Amon’s chilling response: “Wrong. No, my son. This is worship.” (08:44 - King Amon)

2. Josiah Becomes King Amidst Court Intrigue and Isolation (08:52 – 13:40)

• King Amon’s Deathbed (poisoned):

  • Amon, unwavering to the end, tells his son:
    “Power is fear. Fear is strength. Let...let them tremble or they'll do this to you.” (10:14 - King Amon)

• An Eight-Year-Old King:

  • Josiah is thrust onto the throne as a child, facing dismissive advisors.
    • “Perhaps you'd like some toys sent to your chambers instead.” (11:20 - Advisor)
    • Josiah’s retort, remarkably mature:
    • “Perhaps you'd prefer chains around your wrists for treason. I'm your king. You speak to me with respect, but not at all.” (12:09 - Josiah)

• Isolation and the Search for Solace:

  • Josiah’s loneliness is palpable. His maidservant, Hannah, gently introduces the nearly forgotten stories of Yahweh:
    • “Whenever I’m frightened, I like a good story my mother used to tell me about a God named Yahweh.” (13:18 - Hannah)
    • Josiah asks, “Who’s Yahweh?”—illuminating how far the nation had drifted from its faith.

3. Seeds of Spiritual Awakening (15:00 – 16:40)

• A Young King’s Prayer:
  • Now a teenager, Josiah prays for the true God to reveal Himself:
    • “Yahweh, if you’re truly there, please say something. Anything. I will not pray to Molech or BAAL or Ashtaroth. I seek you. Please help me to find you.” (15:13 - Josiah)
  • Josiah’s disgust with idol worship manifests as he shatters a Molech statue in anger and anguish.

4. Discovery of the Hidden Scroll (18:20 – 22:17)

• Hilkiah the Priest’s Revelation:

  • The loyal priest presents Josiah with a hidden scroll found in the ruined Temple—likely the Torah or Deuteronomy.
    • “My king, we have found something. Something hidden deep beneath the ruins of the Temple of Solomon.” (18:20 - Hilkiah)

• The Reading That Shakes a Nation:

  • Shaphan, the scribe, reads aloud, beginning with Genesis:
    • “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (19:10 - Shaphan)
    • The words are described as electric, like lightning, breathing forgotten truth into the room.
  • The narrative continues through the fall of humankind, the patriarchs, and the cycles of faithfulness and betrayal:
    • “But the serpent came cutting, whispering doubt…until paradise was shattered and man hid himself from God.” (20:22 - Shaphan)
  • The warning is clear:
    • “But beware, O Israel, lest your hearts turn away…if you forsake the covenant…you shall surely perish. Scattered, lost, destroyed.” (22:17 - Shaphan)

5. Josiah’s Crisis and Radical Repentance (22:40 – 27:33)

• Personal Reckoning:

  • As the warning sinks in, Josiah is emotionally shattered, revisiting the trauma of childhood and feeling the nation’s collective guilt:
    • “We are undone. We have betrayed him.” (26:44 - Josiah)

• Public Act of Repentance:

  • Josiah rises, weeps, and tears his royal robes—a public sign of mourning and repentance:
    • “He grabbed the fine fabric of his royal robes, his fingers digging into the cloth. And then, with a single violent motion, he tore them apart.” (26:57)
  • He demands urgent spiritual direction:
    • “Find me a Prophet.” (27:25 - Josiah)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Jerusalem was less a city and more a wound wrapped in stone.” (00:00 - Narration)
• “Josiah knew deep in his heart that he would never forget this night, nor forgive the darkness that had birthed him.” (08:52 - Narration)
• “Who’s Yahweh?” (13:23 - Josiah)
• “The old stories had been buried beneath idols, and politics pushed so far into the shadows that only fragments remained.” (13:30 - Narration)
• “The words struck the air like lightning, a single spark, small at first but electric.” (19:18 - Narration)
• “We are undone. We have betrayed him.” (26:44 - Josiah)
• “Find me a Prophet.” (27:25 - Josiah)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:58 – 08:44: The Valley of Hinnom and Josiah’s childhood trauma
• 10:02 – 12:22: King Amon's death and Josiah's coronation
• 13:10 – 13:45: Hannah comforts Josiah with the forgotten stories of Yahweh
• 15:00 – 16:40: Josiah’s prayerful search for the true God and rage against idolatry
• 18:20 – 22:17: Discovery and public reading of the hidden scroll
• 22:40 – 27:33: Josiah’s emotional climax—confession, mourning, call for a prophet

Tone and Style

Dramatic, immersive, and emotionally intense. The narration blends biblical gravitas with vivid, modern storytelling, focusing on the inner life of Josiah and the generational struggle between darkness and redemption.

Conclusion

This episode powerfully dramatizes King Josiah’s confrontation with the legacy of idolatry, his personal search for the true God, and the nation-shaking rediscovery of God’s Word. It meditates on the cost of spiritual amnesia, the courage required to break with a sinful past, and the hope that even in the darkest times, renewal is possible when confronted by the truth of God’s commandments.