Pitch a tent and build an altar

Pitch a Tent...

TENT - A form of temporary shelter common in ancient Israel.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised Tent

Even after they settled in permanent dwellings in Canaan, the Israelites continued to use tent imagery. In Hezekiah’s prayer the tent is a symbol of the temporary character of human life (

2 Samuel 6:17 “And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.”

Build an altar

Two types -

Anyone could set up… earth, stone, rock

Priestly altars… bronze altar (set up at the door of the tabernacle or tent of meeting) Ex 40:29, altar of incense (Ex 40:26; Ex 30:1-10).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised 2. Bronze and Gilded Altars

Canaanite burnt-offering altar at Megiddo (ca 2500–1800 B.C.), reconstructed. Access was by stairs (left), at the base of which was found a large deposit of bones of sacrificial animals. (A. C. Myers)

Ex 20:24-26 In all the place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

Abraham’s altars:

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised A. Pre-tabernacle Altars

Abraham is the next builder of altars, the first three of which seem to have related to his circuit of wanderings within Canaan. His first altar, at Shechem, seems to have been the symbolic means of his formal possession of the land (

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised A. Pre-tabernacle Altars

Four-horned limestone altar from Israelite Megiddo (ca 1000–800 B.C.), possibly a house altar or incense altar (Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)

Each of Abraham’s altars was the scene of some special revelation of Yahweh. Isaac added an altar at Beersheba Gen 26:25 which may be a re-creation, on the same site, of an altar built by Abraham.

Genesis 26:25 ESV

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Jacob built new altars, but repeatedly repaired thoses at Shechem and Bethel.

5 places in Canaan (Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, Moriah and Beer-sheba associated both with teh worship of Yahweh and with the names of the patriarchs. In later years, these locations became important sanctuaries for the worship of Yahweh and the preservation and proclamation of fmaily traditions.

All the big names in the Bible built altars - David, Joshua, Saul, Samuel, Gideon,

Priestly altars

The altar of burnt offering/ Bronze altar (largest of the two).

Front of the doorway of the tabernacle (Ex 40:6)

Used for the daily burnt and meal offerings.

Priests made atonement for various sins of the people according to the sacrificial system outlined in Lev 1-7. Stood as a witness to the fact that any entry into the presence of God must be preceded by atonement for sin. The doorway to the tent of meeting was doubly important as it was there that the worshipper met with the intermediary, the priest.

2. The altar of incense - was in the catogory of most holy (Ex 30:10)

a. altar was accesible to the priests who were commanded to burn daily upon it the sweet incense so that a cloud of smoke might rise to fill the inner chamber at the moment when the sacrificial blood was sprinkled. Symbolism of incense = prayer (Rev 8:3)

The Royal priest was the person who was appointed, as a son of Aaron or descendant of Aaron to make atonement for people’s sins and bring people with impurities to God. In the time of Jesus this was Ciaphas.