Bible Dictionaries
Shrine

Holman Bible Dictionary

A small building devoted to the worship of a particular deity, usually with an image of that god. Sometimes shrines were located in larger temples, set apart by a partition or niche in a wall. An Ephraimite, Micah, had a shrine in Israel during the days of the judges (Judges 17:5 ). He hired a Levite to administer worship at the site. Later, shrines were seen as pagan (2 Kings 17:29 ). King Josiah had them demolished during his reign (2 Kings 23:19 ). The apostle Paul confronted the silversmith Demitrius with his sin of selling shrines of the goddess Artemis (Acts 19:21-27 ). See Artemis; High Place .