Final answer:
This significantly influenced Jewish religious identity and practices, which would persist and evolve through subsequent historical challenges and diversification within Jewish sects.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery of the Book of the Law during King Josiah's reign led to significant religious reforms in the seventh century BCE.
This event is tied to the imposition of strict monotheism and the compilation of the first books of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah.
The addition of the book of Deuteronomy was crucial, as it represented a recommitment to the covenant and laws ascribed to Moses, affecting Jewish religious and cultural identity.
Subsequent events, like the Babylonian Captivity and the teachings of prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, reinforced the importance of adherence to these laws and contributed to the formation of a more unified and distinct Jewish religious tradition.
This tradition persisted despite the Diaspora, owing to the diligent efforts to preserve the Torah and Jewish customs, effectively creating a "mobile tradition" of Judaism.
Later on, various Jewish sects like the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots would interpret the laws of Moses differently, leading to further diversification within Jewish society.