And as Josiah turned himself,.... From the high place, and the altar at Bethel; for he not only gave orders for the destroying of idolatrous places and idols, but he saw them executed himself:he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; the graves of idolatrous priests and worshippers, who chose to be buried near those places of idolatry; nor was it unusual for persons to be buried on hills and mountains, see Jos 24:30 and this was a custom in other nations formerly , particularly among the Indians now, who in many things agree with the Jews:and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burnt them upon the altar; where they had sacrificed to idols:and polluted it; with their bones, which, according to the law, were defiling, and which was done in contempt of their idolatrous worship there:according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words; or things; foretold that such a king by name would arise, and burn men's bones upon the altar, and which had been foretold more than three hundred and fifty years before this time.
Vid. Servium in Virgil. Aeneid. 11. ver 849. "fuit ingens monte sub alto". Manasseh ben Israel Spes Israelis. sect 6. p.