What does «Altar» mean in Spanish?
- A religious place or monument set up for the offering of sacrifices, as among the ancient Hebrews; also, as in the Catholic Church, an altar or consecrated stone for the celebration by the priest of the holy sacrifice of the mass. The altars of pagan times were of two kinds: those of low elevation, placed before the image in the interior of the temple, at which the kneeling worshipper presented his supplications; and the high ones, erected before the door of the temple, for burning offerings. The ancient Jewish altars were often simple constructions of rough stone. Altars of gold for incense and of bronze for sacrifices formed an important part of the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon. Jewish and Oriental altars were generally square or oblong, while Greek and Roman altars often took the round form. Among both Jews and pagans, the altar provided an asylum for fugitives and slaves, whose violation was considered a sacrilege.