Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HORNS OF THE ALTAR

Hornlike projections that extended upward from the four corners of the altar (Exod. 27;2; Lev. 4:7; 1 Kgs. 1:50; 2:28; Rev. 9:13). The horn was perhaps a symbolic reminder of the strength, presence, and power of God, perhaps deriving from the bull or the ox, animals known for those qualities. The generic Semitic title for God, El, was comprised of two Hebrew letters, the aleph, shaped like an oxhead with horns, and the lamed, shaped like an ox goad; combined, the two letters communicated the idea of God as active power. The horns perhaps also represented mountain peaks or a type of holy mountain, i.e., the dwelling place of the deity (reflected in the description of Ezekiel’s altar; Ezek. 43:13-17; cf. also the Mesopotamian ziggurat, a type of sacred mountain associated with the home of the deity).

The horns played an important role in the sacrificial system through the cultic ritual of placing upon them some of the blood of the sin offering (Lev. 4:7). The horns also were recognized as a place of sanctuary or refuge (1 Kgs. 1:50; 2:28).

Archaeological excavations at Megiddo, Tell Beit Mirsim, and Beer-sheba have produced dismantled and intact examples. The horned altars found in the excavations of Megiddo and Tell Beit Mirsim were small limestone altars ca. .6 m. (2 ft.) tall. A larger version constructed of large blocks of stone was discovered at Beer-sheba. While offerings were apparently made on the surface of the altars, in some cases the horns may have supported a bowl or basin in which the sacrifice was made.

LaMoine F. DeVries

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HORNS OF THE ALTAR

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)