The Great Altars of the World

Genesis 22: 9- 13 Taken from the Holy Bible
And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son.
And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!"
And he said, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God
fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram,
[and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and
took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

{Image Credit:richardmcbee.com/The%20Akeidah.htm

While commending the Christians at Pergamos for their faithfulness in trying times. Jesus Christ plainly states that the Great Altar of Zeus at Pergamos was the throne of Satan. Revelations 2:13 ' I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is." This is a cryptic reference to Satan and his seat or throne.

The Great Altar of Zeus from Pergaos now resides in the museum in Berlin, Germany. The carved stone images depict " The Battle of the Giants."

{Image Credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berlin_-_Pergamonmuseum_-_Altar_01.jpg

Altar of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, as arranged in 1700. The altar, is at the eastern end of the church, as is common in old churches in Rome. The priest has always faced east, and thus in the same direction as the people, when celebrating Mass.

{Image Credit:GNU Free Documentation License.Magnificent

Sacrifice Rock at Maria Taferl, Austriat was used by the ancient Celts. To make sacrifices upon. It is now located in the plaza of the Basilica.

{Image Credit: Maik 123

In Buddhism, a butsudan is an altar found in homes and in temples.The original design was from India,where people built altars the size of skyscrapers as an offering to Buddha.

When Buddhism came to China and Korea, statues of the Buddha were placed on pedestals or platforms. the Chinese and Koreans built walls and doors around the statues to shield them from the weather. They could then safely offer their prayers and incense.

{Image Credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shrine1.jpg

Krakow, Poland is blessed with masterworks by the great sculptor of the Gothic art, Veit Stoss, he lived 1440 to 1533. He worked for 19 years, and he sacrificed twelve years of his life from 1477 to 1489 to carve in wood a three-story-high altarpiece in the basilica of the Virgin Mary's at Krakow's central Grand Square.

" The 42-foot-high and 36-foot-wide Veit Stoss' magnum opus is the largest Gothic sculpture in the world. It consists of 200 fine lime wood sculptures treated with color and gold foil. The central part, with huge lifelike statues of the saints, depicts dramatically the Virgin Mary's Quietus among the Apostles. Looking upwards one sees the Ascension of Our Lady and Lord. And at the top there is the Madonna's Heavenly Coronation by the Trinity. The wings are covered with relief scenes from the life of the Holy Family. At the base of the altar one find the family tree of the Virgin Mary's."

{Image Credit:{Image Credit: http://www.krakow-info.com/oltarz.htm

Early Coptic altar carved into the wall of the Temple of Isis on the island Philae in Egypt.

Image taken by Gilles RENAULT

In Hinduism, altars contain pictures or statues of a male god and a female goddesses. Large, ornate altars are found in Hindu temples while smaller altars are found in homes and sometimes also in Hindu run shops and restaurants. There are curtains that hang over the entrance of the shrine and wooden doors to close when the deities are sleeping .

{Image Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lakshmi_Narayan_Shrine_in_KL.jpg

In Shinto altars are found in shrines and in homes. A physical area is separated with branches of green bamboo at the four corners between are strung sacred border ropes. In the center of the altar a large branch of sakaki garland,along with it's sacred emblems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kamidana.jpg

Taoist altars are erected to honor the spirits of ancestors and deities. Taoist altars maybe found in temple and homes. On certain dates, food may be set out as a sacrifice to the gods and the dearly departed. The sacrifice of slaughtered pigs and ducks and fruit maybe added.The offerings of incense, candles and vegetable are excepted offerings.

{Image Credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daoist_altar_from_plum.jpg