The Altar of Burnt Offerings

The Altar of Burnt Offerings can clearly be seen in the following picture. It is the object producing the flames in the center of the Tabernacle Courtyard.

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At the time of the Levitical Priesthood, God required blood sacrifices at the Alter of Burnt Offerings for the forgiveness of sins. These sacrifices required the priest to slaughter a goat, sheep or cow and have the choice body parts burned on the Altar. Then the priest would sprinkle the blood of the animal on the Altar, the people and himself.

Like all of the objects in the Tabernacle, God provided the specifications for building the Altar of Burnt Offerings. This is evidenced by the following scripture:

You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square; and its height shall be three cubits. You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. You shall make a grate for it, a network of bronze; and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. You shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be midway up the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. The poles shall be put in the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar to bear it. You shall make it hollow with boards; as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it. (Exodus 27:1-8)

The Brazen Altar (or Alter of Burnt Offerings) is made of acacia wood and is covered with bronze. It is about ten and one half feet long, ten and one half feet deep and six feet three inches tall. There are horns of equal size placed on each of the corners of the Altar. It should be noted that there are a number of tools available to assist the priest in his work.