Altar
"(Heb. mizbe'ah, from a word meaning "to slay"), any structure of" earth (Ex. 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places (Gen. 22:9; Ezek. 6:3; 2 Kings 23:12; 16:4; 23:8; Acts 14:13). The word is used in Heb. 13:10 for the sacrifice offered upon it--the sacrifice Christ offered. "Paul found among the many altars erected in Athens one bearing "the inscription, "To the unknown God" (Acts 17:23), or rather" "to an [i.e., some] unknown God. The reason for this" inscription cannot now be accurately determined. It afforded the "apostle the occasion of proclaiming the gospel to the "men of" "Athens." "The first altar we read of is that erected by Noah (Gen. 8:20). "Altars were erected by Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 13:4; 22:9), by Isaac" "(Gen. 26:25), by Jacob (33:20; 35:1, 3), and by Moses (Ex." "17:15, "Jehovah-nissi")." "In the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, two altars were erected. "(1.) The altar of burnt offering (Ex. 30:28), called also the "brasen altar (Ex. 39:39) and "the table of the Lord" (Mal." 1:7). "This altar, as erected in the tabernacle, is described in Ex. "27:1-8. It was a hollow square, 5 cubits in length and in" "breadth, and 3 cubits in height. It was made of shittim wood," and was overlaid with plates of brass. Its corners were "ornamented with "horns" (Ex. 29:12; Lev. 4:18)." "In Ex. 27:3 the various utensils appertaining to the altar are "enumerated. They were made of brass. (Comp. 1 Sam. 2:13, 14;" "Lev. 16:12; Num. 16:6, 7.)" "In Solomon's temple the altar was of larger dimensions (2 Chr. "4:1. Comp. 1 Kings 8:22, 64; 9:25), and was made wholly of" "brass, covering a structure of stone or earth. This altar was" renewed by Asa (2 Chr. 15:8). It was removed by Ahaz (2 Kings "16:14), and "cleansed" by Hezekiah, in the latter part of whose" reign it was rebuilt. It was finally broken up and carried away by the Babylonians (Jer. 52:17). "After the return from captivity it was re-erected (Ezra 3:3, 6) on the same place where it had formerly stood. (Comp. 1 Macc. 4:47.) When Antiochus Epiphanes pillaged Jerusalem the altar of burnt offering was taken away. "Again the altar was erected by Herod, and remained in its place till the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (70 A.D.). "The fire on the altar was not permitted to go out (Lev. 6:9). "In the Mosque of Omar, immediately underneath the great dome, "which occupies the site of the old temple, there is a rough" "projection of the natural rock, of about 60 feet in its extreme" "length, and 50 in its greatest breadth, and in its highest part" about 4 feet above the general pavement. This rock seems to have been left intact when Solomon's temple was built. It was in all probability the site of the altar of burnt offering. Underneath "this rock is a cave, which may probably have been the granary of" Araunah's threshing-floor (1 Chr. 21:22). "(2.) The altar of incense (Ex. 30:1-10), called also "the golden "altar" (39:38; Num. 4:11), stood in the holy place "before the" "vail that is by the ark of the testimony." On this altar sweet" spices were continually burned with fire taken from the brazen altar. The morning and the evening services were commenced by the high priest offering incense on this altar. The burning of "the incense was a type of prayer (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3, 4)." "This altar was a small movable table, made of acacia wood "overlaid with gold (Ex. 37:25, 26). It was 1 cubit in length and" "breadth, and 2 cubits in height." "In Solomon's temple the altar was similar in size, but was made of cedar-wood (1 Kings 6:20; 7:48) overlaid with gold. In Ezek. "41:22 it is called "the altar of wood." (Comp. Ex. 30:1-6.)" "In the temple built after the Exile the altar was restored. "Antiochus Epiphanes took it away, but it was afterwards restored" by Judas Maccabaeus (1 Macc. 1:23; 4:49). Among the trophies carried away by Titus on the destruction of Jerusalem the altar "of incense is not found, nor is any mention made of it in Heb." 9. It was at this altar Zacharias ministered when an angel appeared to him (Luke 1:11). It is the only altar which appears "in the heavenly temple (Isa. 6:6; Rev. 8:3, 4)." See where Altar occurs in the Bible...
Please use discretion, because comments are unregulated and unscreened user comments in real-time: ela4611N
"Have you heard ‘Altar feat Natalia Damini - It's Over (Radio Edit)’ by @nataliadamini on #SoundCloud? https://t.co/v0lksbXHMQ"
Recent Social Media Comments Related to Altar...
tammy_mahajan
"@EDLTrobinson Time to get tough with this radical Islamic cancer. How long will we sacrifice safety on the altar to political correctness?"
HyperObserver
"Did a #Femen protester go too far with mock suicide in #Paris at #NotreDame?... http://t.co/Fb5NcrRamw via @MailOnline"
GA_Safety
"RT @AirFacts: Would seat belt airbags save lives in airplanes? Add your opinion: http://t.co/78RVcdQu4E"
palomaam00
"@Shinigami_SE *sonrío y te abrazo* Gracias, tu me tienes que llevar al altar, en teoría (?)"
mainiadriano
"RT @SarahEBond: "who is such a friend of the barbarians that he does not need the altar of Victory?" - Symmachus (Diptych Symmachi) http://t.co/NnttDCGdJK"
HrodricMartel
"RT @jmatuk: Realmente me preocupan los comentarios de "lo feo" que está la Xbox One ... ¿la van a poner en un altar y la van a adorar o la van a usar?"
marucastilloc
"RT @SergioTorresSa: Quien creo las power nap para ponerle un altar ó prenderle una vela?"
theneedledrop
"@kleixa daft punk? altar of plagues?"
AirFacts
"Would seat belt airbags save lives in airplanes? Add your opinion: http://t.co/78RVcdQu4E"
UPyD_Galapagar
"RT @elecosierra: El escurialense Canto Castrejón, ¿altar vetón? http://t.co/96YSayAe8G vía @elecosierra"
JbruceC
"RT @MShocked: @FreestateKansas Y'know my ego got me arrested at Occupy LA and it sure got me censored in San Francisco. My altar ego? Suits me to a Tweet"
KristhyamPerea
"Reloj te propongo un trato... ¿Qué tal si después del minuto 13:59 pasas al minuto 18:00?, te prometo un altar en cafarnaum !!"
deeonekings
"some of u have answered church ''altar calls'' about 250 times and still counting...wen will u finally give up the ghost in u ??"
_Teefi
"Siiim eu aceitooo !
Um dia será que vou dizer isso no altar ou em qualquer lugar ?"