Altar Theology || A Brief Background

CSPL Membership Meeting | October 2022

Hebrew word "mizbēaḥ" for "altar" is derived from the root word "zbh" meaning "slaughter" but most animal sacrifices were done near the altar but not on it.

In the Ancient Near Eastern world, altars were used to keep the deities content with food and drink.

Israelites inherited this tradition of meeting the needs of the Divine but significantly expanded this understanding to invoke and encounter God at the altar.

Altar traditions also exist in African and Latin American cultures, and continue today.