Josiah was in the midst of a purging process of the kingdom, because he realized that the kings before him had not followed the Lord.

2Ch 34:6  And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
2Ch 34:7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

And he did this in Manasseh = “causing to forget,” Ephraim = “double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful,” Simeon or Shimeon = “heard,” and even unto Naphtali = “wrestling,” with their “mattocks = sword, knife, tools for cutting stone” round about.

2Ch 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

According to Josephus, who, for those who are unaware, was a reporter/recorder of the history of the Jews during biblical times; Josiah, who was operating under divine government since his twelfth year, had appointed the gentlemen listed above to oversee the repair of the temple of the Lord. These gentlemen had the following credentials.

Shaphan = rock badger, coney, the hyrax; which is a reference to an animal like a rabbit, badger, or even porcupine. The difference though, is that unlike the porcupine, this creature is defenseless, but according to scripture, is a creature of wisdom.

Pro 30:24 There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise:
Pro 30:25 The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
Pro 30:26 The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
Pro 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
Pro 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.