According to Lev. vi, G, the fire on the altar of burnt-offerings was not permitted to go out (Buxtorf, Uistoria ignis sacri, in bis Exercit. p. 288 sq. ; and in Dgolini Tkesaur. x; Horeb, De igne Sacro,ia Dgo- lini Tkesaur. xxxii; Bohn, De igne Gentilium sacro in Israel, sacra injurio, in (Jgolini Tkesaur. x; comp. Deyling, Observ. ii, 164 sq. ; v, -17 sq. ; Carpzov, Ap- pur. p. 28G; Scliaclit, Ammadc. ad I ken. p. 293; Ro-
senmiiller, Morgenl. ii, 15G sq. ; Spanheim, De Vesta et Prytaneis Grwc. in Grajvii Thesaur. v, GGO sq. ; Hyde, Relig. vet. Pers. viii), as having originally fall- en from heaven (Lev. ix, 24 ; izvp ovpavoniTte;, comp. Curt, iii, 3; Ammian. Marcel, xxiii, 6; Pausan. v, 15,5; viii, 9, 1; Plutarch, Numa, ix ; Solin.v; Serv. ail .En. xii, 200 ; Val. Max. i, 1, 7; Zendavesta, iii, 237), and, according to the rabbinical traditions, re- newed in like manner on several occasions (Gcmara, Yoma, 21; Zebach, 61, 2; 2 Mace, i, 19 sq. ; comp. Van Dale, De Idolatr. c. viii, p. 149" sq.). See Burnt-of- fering.
2. The second altar belonging to the Jewish Cul- tus was the Altar of Incense (P.'n i;]?!! HZT'O and THt:p 1I3J3XI, Exod. xxx, 1 ; Sept. 8voiaari)pwv 8v- pu'iparog), called also the golden altar prijil n2tp, Exod. xxxix, 38; Num. iv, 11) to distinguish it from the altar of burnt-offering, which was of less costly ma- terials (Exod. xxx viii, 30). Probably this is meant by the " altar of wood" spoken of in Ezek. xii, 22, which is further described as the "table that is before the , Lord," an expression precisely suitable to the altar of j incense (see Delitzsch, Brief an die Hebr. p. 678). ! The name n?T"D, "altar," was not stricth/ appropri- I ate, as no sacrifices were offered upon it ; hut once in | the year, on the great da}- of atonement, the high- priest sprinkled upon the horns of it the blood of the sin-offering (Exod. xxx, 10). It was placed between the table of shew-bread and the golden candlestick (Lev. xvi, 18), i. e. in the holy place, "before the vail that is by the ark of the testitnon}'" (Exod. xxx, JC: xl, 5). Philo, too, speaks of it as "within the I first vail," and as standing between the candlestick and the table of shew-bread. In apparent contradic- tion to this, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ! enumerates it among the objects which were within j the second vail, i. e. in the Holy of Holies. It is true that by 6vpiari]piov in this passage may be meant " a censer," in accordance with the usage of the Sept., but it is better understood of the altar of incense, which by Philo and other Hellenists is called Ov^tari,- piov. It is remarkable also that in 1 Kings vi, 22, this same altar is said to belong to "the oracle" (TC'lb TCJN nST^n), or most holy place. This may perhaps be accounted for by the great typical and symbolical importance attached to this altar, so that it might be considered to belong to the " second taber- nacle." (See Bleek on Ileb. ix, 4, and Delitzsch, in loc.)
J (a.) This altar in the tabernacle was made of shit- tim-wood overlaid with gold plates, and was one cubit | in length and breadth, and two cubits in height. It had horns (Lev. iv, 7) of the same materials ; and round the flat surface (35, gag, " top") was a border ("I], zer, I Auth. Yers. " crown ;" Sept. tjTpnrn)v GTftydvipi) of I gold, underneath which were the rings to receive " the staves (O^S, baddim' ' , 2>arts ; Sept. acvrdXai) made of shittim-wood overlaid with gold, to bear it withal" 1 (Exod. xxx, 1-5; Josephus, Ant. iii, 6, 8).
(6.) The altar in Solomon's temple was similar, but l made of cedar (1 Kings vi, 20 ; vii, 48 ; 1 Chron. xxix, 18) overlaid with gold (comp. Isa. vi, 0).
(c.) The altar in the second temple was taken away by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Mace, i, 23), and restored by Judas Maccabseus (1 Mace, iv, 49). On the arch of Titus there appears no altar of incense; it is not mentioned in Heb. ix, nor by Joseph. Ant. xiv, 4, 4. According to the Mishna (Ckagigah, iii, 8; Tumid, vi, 2), it was overlaid with metal. From the circum- stance that the sweet incense was burnt upon it every day, morning and evening (Exod. xxx, 7, 8), as well as that the blood of atonement was sprinkled upon it (v, 10), this altar had a special importance attached to it. It is the only altar which appears in the Heav- enly Temple (Isa. vi, G ; Lev. viii, 3, 4). It was
ALTAll
183
ALTAR
Supposed Form of the Jewish Altar of Incense, doubtless this altar at which Zaeharias was minister- ing when the angel appeared to him (Luke i, 11).
See generally Hamm, Be Ara suffitus (Herborn, 1715); Cremer, Antiq. Sacr. i, 297 sq. ; Schlichter, in the Symbol. Lit. Br em. ii, 401 sq. ; Ugolini Altare In- terim, in his Thesaur. xi; Bahr, Symbol, i, 419 sq., 470 sq. See Incexse.
3. Of other Jewish altars, we read only of (1.) Al- tars of brick. There seems to be an allusion to such in Isa. lxv, 3. The words are, D^r&in ^? EP"^!^, " offering incense on the bricks" gen- erally explained as referring to altars made of this mate- rial, and probably situated in the "gardens" men- tioned just before. Rosenmuller sug- gests, however, that the allusion is to some Babylonish custom of burning incense on bricks