2. The altar of burnt- offering in Solomon's temple was of much larger dimensions, ' twenty cubits in length and breadth, and ten in height' (2 Chron. iv. 1), and was made entirely of brass. It is said of Asa that he renewed (VIM, that is, either repaired (in which sense the word is evi dently used in 2 Chron. xxiv. 4) or reconsecrated Sept.) the altar of the Lord that was before the porch of the Lord (2 Chron. xv. 8). This altar was removed by king Ahaz (2 Kings xvi. 14; it was `cleansed' ("MD, eryvtklo) by Heze kiah ; and in the latter part of Manasseh's reign was repaired or rebuilt (in ketib; keri).
3. Of the altar of burnt-offering in the second temple, the canonical scriptures give us no infor mation excepting that it was erected before the foundations of the temple were laid (Ezra iii. 3, 6) on the same place where it had formerly been built, el,' of Kat CIP(pK01301.4771LeYCIP 767r0V (Joseph. Antiq. xi. 4, I). From the Apocrypha, however, we may infer that it was made, not of brass, but of unhewn stone, for in the account of the restoration of the temple service by Judas Mac cabxus, it is said, ' They took whole stones (Mem OXoahpous), according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former (I Macc. iv. 47) When Antiochus Epiphanes pillaged Jerusalem, Josephus informs us that he left the temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks and the golden altar [of incense] and table [of shew-bread], and the altar of burnt-offering, ra. Ow-Lao-T-491a xii. 5, 4).
4. The altar of burnt-offering erected by Herod is thus described by Josephus (De Bell. gird. v. 5, 6): Before this temple stood the altar, fifteen cubits high, and equal both in length and breadth, each of which dimensions was fifty cubits. The figure it was built in was a square, and it had corners like horns (K€paroctSe(S rpoctpexcov lovias), and the pas sage up to it was by a gentle acclivity from the south. It was formed without any iron tool, nor did any iron tool so much as touch it at any time.' The dimensions of this altar are differently stated in the Mishna. It is there described as a square 32 cubits at the base; at the height of a cubit it is reduced i cubit each way, making it 30 cubits square ; at 5 cubits higher it is similarly contracted, becoming 28 cubits square, and at the ban, of the horns, 26 cubits ; and allowing a cubit each way for the deambulacrum, a square of 24 cubits is left for the fire on the altar. Other Jewish writers
place the deambulacrum 2 feet below the surface of the altar, which would certainly be a more suitable construction. The Mishna states, in accordance with Josephus, that the stones of the altar were un hewn, agreeably to the command in Exod. xx. 25 ; and that they were whitewashed every year at the Passover and the feast of tabernacles. On the south side was an inclined plane, 32 cubits long and i6 cubits broad, made likewise of unhewn stones. A pipe was connected with the south-west horn, through which the blood of the victims was discharged by a subterraneous passage into the brook Kedron. Under the altar was a cavity to receive the drink-offerings, which was covered with a marble slab, and cleansed from time to time. On the north side of the altar several iron rings were fixed to fasten the victims. Lastly, a scarlet thread was drawn round the middle of the altar to dis tinguish between the blood that was to be sprinkled above or below it.
II. The second altar belonging to the Jewish Cultus was the altar of incense, -It:ppm nzrn or rropn ?Iwo ; Oucrtacmjpiov Ovattiaaros, Sept.; Ovatarsplov, JosephuS; called also the golden altar (Num. iv. I') mar) nmtn. It was placed between the table of shew-bread and the golden candlestick, in the most holy place.
I. This altar in the tabernacle was made of Shittim-wood overlaid with gold plates, 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 was a border (IL crown Auth. Vers. ; oe-porrip xpvci)P, Sept.) of gold, underneath which were the rings to receive ' the staves made of Shittim-wood, overlaid with gold to bear it withal' (Exod. xxx. 1-5 ; Joseph. Antiq. iii. 6, 8).
2. The altar in Solomon's Temple was similar, but made of cedar (I Kings vi. 20 ; vii. LtS ; I Chron. xxviii. IS) overlaid with gold.
3. The altar in the second temple was taken away by Antiochus Epiphanes (I Macc. i. 21), and restored by Judas Maccabxus (i Macc. iv. 49). On the arch of Titus there appears no altar of incense ; it is not mentioned in Heb. ix., nor by Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 4, 4 (vide Tholuck On the Hebrews, vol. ii. p. 8 ; Biblical Cabinet, vol. xxxix.) (Winer's Realworterbuch, articles ' Altar,' Brandopfer altar,' Raucheraltar ;' Bahr's Sym bolik des Mosaisehen Celtics, bd. I. Heidelberg, IS37)•—J. E. R.