Editing Altar (section)

==Judaism==
{{Main|Altar (Bible)}}

Altars{{efn|{{langx|he|מזבח}}, '''''mizbe'ah''''' means "a place of slaughter or sacrifice".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Altar |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Biblica]] |year=1899}}</ref>}} in the [[Hebrew Bible]] were typically made of earth<ref>{{bibleverse||Exodus|20:24|KJV}}</ref> or unwrought stone.<ref>{{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|20:25|KJV}}</ref> Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places.<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|22:9|KJV}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse||Ezekiel|6:3|KJV}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|23:12|KJV}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse-nb|2|Kings|16:4|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Kings|23:8|KJV}}</ref> The first altar recorded in the Hebrew Bible is that erected by [[Noah]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|8:20|KJV}}</ref> Altars were erected by [[Abraham]],<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|12:7|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|13:4|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|22:9|KJV}}</ref> by [[Isaac]],<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|26:25|KJV}})</ref> by [[Jacob]],<ref>{{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|33:20|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|35:1-3|KJV}}</ref> and by [[Moses]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Exodus|17:15|HE}}</ref>

After the [[theophany]] on [[Mount Sinai]], in the [[Tabernacle (Judaism)|Tabernacle]]—and afterwards in the [[Jerusalem temple|Temple]]—only two altars were used: The Altar of Burnt Offering, and the Altar of Incense, both near where the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was located.

The remains of three rock-hewn altars were discovered in the Land of Israel: one below [[Zorah|Tel Zorah]], another at the foot of [[Sebastia, Nablus|Sebastia]] (ancient Samaria), and a third near [[Shiloh (biblical city)|Shiloh]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Elitzur |first1=Yael |last2=Nir-Zevi |first2=Doran |date=2003 |title=A Rock-Hewn Altar Near Shiloh |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/peq.2003.135.1.30 |journal=Palestine Exploration Quarterly |volume=135 |issue=1 |pages=30–36 |doi=10.1179/peq.2003.135.1.30 |s2cid=162159584 |issn=0031-0328}}</ref>