SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF INCENSE

SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF INCENSE

This was an altar-shaped (i.e., small table with projection on each corner, cf. Exod. 30:1-3) piece of furniture (BDB 882, 883) where incense was placed in large quantities on the Day of Atonement (cf. Leviticus 16) to produce thick smoke which concealed YHWH's presence over the ark. Many place it inside the Holy of Holies. This has caused commentators to take this phrase to refer to a "censer" because this is how the Septuagint translates this term (cf. Lev. 16:12; 2 Chr. 26:19; Ezek. 8:11; IV Mac. 7:11). However, Philo and Josephus use the same Greek word for the incense altar. In the OT the altar is closely identified with the Holy of Holies (cf. Exod.30:1-10, 37; but especially 1 Kgs. 6:22).

Coals were taken from the great sacrificial altar at the door of the tabernacle and placed on this small stand. Incense was then placed on the coals to produce a large amount of smoke. This wonderful smelling smoke obscured the high priest's eyes from seeing YHWH, who dwelt over the ark of the covenant between the wings of the cherubim, in the Holy of Holies.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TABERNACLE OF THE WILDERNESS