The Iron Age fortress of Arad protected the frontier divide between the Negev desert and the Judaean Hill Country, while also guarding the lucrative trade routes passing from the Persian Gulf and Edom to Egypt and the Mediterranean. Within this fortress, a cultic site was discovered, which was destroyed in the 8th century, likely during Hezekiah’s reforms. It featured this large altar, as well as a Holy of Holies and may be the “House of Yahweh” referenced in local inscriptions.