Encyclopedia › Tabernacle and temple
Tabernacle and temple
Altar and offerings
Hebrew mizbeach (altar, “place of slaughter”), korban (offering) · burnt, grain, peace, sin, guilt
An altar was a raised place for offerings. The law calls for an altar of earth or of uncut stones (Exodus 20:24–25); the tabernacle’s altar was a hollow box of acacia wood covered with bronze, five cubits square, with a horn at each corner. A fugitive could take hold of the horns to claim sanctuary (1 Kings 1:50). Archaeologists have found a horned altar at Beersheba and, at Arad, a shrine with an altar of earth and unhewn stones. On the temple altar a lamb was offered every morning and evening with flour, oil and wine (Exodus 29:38–40).
Leviticus 1–7 describes the main offerings. The worshiper brought an unblemished animal, laid a hand on its head and slaughtered it, and the priest splashed the blood against the altar. In the burnt offering the whole animal was burned; in the peace offering only the fat parts, and the family ate the rest in a festive meal, part going to the priest. Grain offerings were fine flour with oil and frankincense, of which the priest burned a handful. People who could not afford a lamb brought two doves or young pigeons, as Joseph and Mary did (Luke 2:24).
Key verses
You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.“You are to build an altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar, each day: two lambs that are a year old. Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight.If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it, and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”Sources
Adapted and shortened from the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers · CC BY-SA 4.0 — Altar; Offerings and Sacrifices: Expiation; Offerings and Sacrifices: Consecration Offerings; Offerings and Sacrifices: Fellowship Offerings; Tabernacle: The Outer Court and Its Furnishings
Adapted from Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary: articles chosen, shortened and retold in our own words (history, nature and daily life only) and, in languages other than English, machine-translated. The original work by Tyndale House Publishers is available for free at tyndaleopenresources.com.
