Text: Ezra 3:2
OT Text Referred to: Deuteronomy 12:13
Subject: Prohibition of unauthorized sacrifice sites
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): None
Significance: Moses warns Israel against offering burnt offerings "in just any place you see" (בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּרְאֶה, bekhol maqom 'asher tir'eh), restricting legitimate sacrifice to the divinely chosen location. When the returned exiles in Ezra 3:2 build the altar on its original foundation and offer sacrifices "as it is written in the Law of Moses," they demonstrate careful adherence to this Deuteronomic principle of centralized worship. The post-exilic community's first priority upon return—rebuilding the altar at the authorized site in Jerusalem rather than establishing worship elsewhere—reflects their understanding that the place God chose retains its validity even after the temple's destruction.