I. Name

The word ‘altar’ (mizbēaḥ) occurs more than 400 times in the text of the Old Testament. It derives from the root zbḥ ‘to slaughter’: the most important offering consisted of sacrificial animals. Although offerings could be made on natural elevations, constructed altars seem to be have been customary. A main characteristic of the ancient Israelite altar was the presence of ‘horns’ (qĕrānôt). For the OT altar in general see Haak 1992. In the Bible there are hardly any traces of de…