Altar

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An altar is a raised table or platform used for religious offerings, sacrifices, and rituals. Altars can be found in shrines, temples, churches, homes, and many other places of worship. They appear in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shinto, and many modern pagan traditions, as well as in ancient Greek, Roman, Norse, and Hebrew practices. The word “altar” comes from Middle English alter, Old English alter, and Latin altare, meaning a burning or high place.

In ancient times, altars were places to honor gods with offerings such as drinks, food, or animal sacrifices. Roman altars often carried the name of the donor and the deity. One famous survivor is the Ara Pacis, built by Augustus to symbolize peace. Hebrew Bible altars were usually made of earth or plain stone and placed in clear sight. The earliest biblical altar was built by Noah, followed by others by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. After the Tabernacle and later the Temple were built, two main altars remained: the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense, near the Ark of the Covenant. Some ancient rock-cut altars have been found in Israel. In the New Testament, the Greek word for altar, θυσιαστήριον, is used several times.

Christian use of altars centers on the Eucharist, the ritual act seen as making Christ’s one sacrifice present again. The bread and wine are placed on the altar for consecration, and the altar becomes the focal point of worship in many churches. Historically, many churches had a single main altar, often called the high altar, with additional altars in side chapels. Altars can be fixed (attached to the floor or wall) or movable (able to be moved for different liturgical needs). In the Latin (Western) Church, fixed altars are usually topped with stone and movable altars can be wood. Western liturgical rules evolved from early eastward-facing celebrations to a later practice where the priest often faced the people, and many churches placed the main altar against the east wall of the chancel. The Eastern churches use the term Holy Table and often keep the altar free-standing, with special liturgical furnishings such as the antimension, Prothesis (Table of Oblation), and other items used in their rites. Throughout Christianity, the altar remains the central place for offering and blessing and a symbol of Christ’s presence.

Different Christian traditions have varied altar customs. In Catholic and Orthodox practice, the altar is treated with great reverence and is usually surrounded by a reredos or canopy, with candles and crucifixes. The Anglican Communion has seen a wide range of altar styles; some parishes keep a more Protestant table style, while others retain a traditional altar with a surrounding chancel and tabernacle. In some Protestant groups, a plain Communion Table serves a similar function to an altar, especially in communities that view Communion as a symbolic act rather than a sacrifice.

Outside Christianity, altars take many forms. In Hinduism, altars commonly hold deities’ images (murti) and are used for daily worship (puja) in temples and homes. Temples may have several shrines to different gods, each with its own altar, lamps, flowers, and offerings. Hindu home shrines can range from simple pictures to elaborate places with multiple levels and many lamps.

Taoist altars appear in temples and homes and are used to honor traditional gods and ancestors. Offerings often include incense, candles, and food, with ritual practices varying by tradition. In Buddhist households and temples, butsudan shrines in Japan (and similar setups in other cultures) hold images of the Buddha or bodhisattvas, along with items for offerings and prayers. Zen practices sometimes involve meditating before the butsudan.

Shinto in Japan centers on shrines with altars dedicated to kami (spirits or gods). Sacred spaces like himorogi (temporary sacred spaces) can be set up outdoors, marked by ropes and sacred branches, and used for worship.

In Norse and modern pagan traditions, altars can be simple stone piles, wooden boards, or elaborately carved tables. They are used to honor gods such as Thor or Odin and to conduct ceremonies, feasts, and occult or magical rites. Some neopagan groups place altars in groves or other natural settings to emphasize a connection with nature.

Altars have also played a role in large historical and military contexts. War altars or carroccios (moving shrines) were used in medieval Italy for battlefield rites, and army chaplains sometimes used altar stones on portable stands.

In ancient Israel and related traditions, high places and backyard altars served as outdoor worship sites before formal temples were built. Over time, prophets criticized these practices, which were later restricted or banned in favor of temple-centered worship.

Today, altars come in many forms. Some are fixed, some portable; some are simple, others richly decorated. They may be located inside a church, in a home, outdoors, or in a temple. They remain at the heart of worship across cultures, symbolizing a space where people offer prayer, sacrifice, and devotion to the divine.