Altar*

Altar Type

Material

Reference

Noah’s altar

open-air

earth

Gen 8:20–22

Abram’s altar at Moreh

open-air

earth

Gen 12:6–7 (compare Gen 22:2)

Abram’s altar between Bethel and Ai

open-air

earth

Gen 12:8 (compare Gen 13:3–4)

Abram’s altar at Mamre/Hebron

open-air

earth

Gen 13:18

Abraham’s altar at Moriah

open-air

earth

Gen 22:2, 9 (compare Gen 12:6–7)

Isaac’s altar at Beersheba

open-air

earth

Gen 26:25

Jacob’s altar at Shechem

open-air

earth

Gen 33:20

Jacob’s altar at Bethel

open-air

earth

Gen 35:1–7

Moses’ altar after the Amalekites

open-air

earth

Exod 17:14–16

Moses’ altar at Sinai

open-air

earth

Exod 24:4–8

[Balaam’s seven altars]

open-air

earth

Num 23

Joshua’s altar on Ebal

open-air

unhewn stone

Josh 8:30–31 (compare Deut 27:4–7)

The eastern tribes’ altar of witness

open-air

earth

Josh 22:10–34

Gideon’s altar

open-air

stone slab

Judg 6:17–24

[Altar to Baal built by Gideon’s father]

open-air

uncertain

Judg 6:25–32

Manoah’s altar

open-air

stone slab

Judg 13:19–20

Israelites’ altar during crisis with the tribe of Benjamin

open-air

uncertain

Judg 21:1–7

Samuel’s altar at Ramah

open-air

uncertain

1 Sam 7:17

Saul’s altar

open-air

stone slab

1 Sam 14:31–35

David’s altar in Jerusalem

open-air

uncertain

2 Sam 24:18–25; 1 Chr 21:18–27

[Altar of the prophets of Baal]

open-air

uncertain

1 Kgs 18:22–26

Elijah’s altar

open-air

stone

1 Kgs 18:30–35

[Israelites’ altars mentioned by Isaiah]

open-air

brick

Isa 65:3

Altar of the tabernacle

tabernacle‡

acacia wood; bronze

Exod 27:1–8; 40:6–7 (compare 2 Chr 1:5)

Incense altar for the tabernacle

tabernacle‡

acacia wood; gold

Exod 30:1–10

Bronze altar for Solomon’s temple

temple‡

bronze

2 Chr 4:1

Incense altar for Solomon’s temple

temple‡

gold

1 Kgs 6:22; 7:48

Altar at Shiloh

tabernacle‡

unknown

1 Sam 2:33

Altar at Gibeon

high place†

unknown

1 Kgs 3:4; 1 Chr 21:29

[Jeroboam’s altar at Bethel]

high place†

unknown

1 Kgs 12:32–33 (compare 2 Kgs 23:15)

[Ahab’s altar to Baal in Samaria]

temple of Baal

unknown

1 Kgs 16:32

[Ahaz’s altar in the temple, and other idolatrous actions]

temple‡

unknown

2 Kgs 16:10–16; compare 2 Chr 28:22–27

[Manasseh’s altars to Baal and other deities]

high places†, temple‡

unknown

2 Kgs 21:1–9; 2 Chr 33:1–9 (compare 2 Chr 33:10–20)

[Altars destroyed in Asa’s reform]

high places†

unknown

2 Chr 14:2–5

[Altars to Baal destroyed in Johoiada’s reform]

temple of Baal

unknown

2 Kgs 11:17–18; 2 Chr 23:17

[Illicit altars to Yahweh destroyed by Hezekiah]

high places†, temple‡

unknown

2 Kgs 18:22; 2 Chr 30:14

[Altars to various deities destroyed in Hezekiah’s reform]

high places†

unknown

2 Chr 31:1

[Altars to various deities destroyed in Josiah’s reform]

various

unknown

2 Kgs 23:1–20; 2 Chr 34:1–7

Ezekiel’s vision of a bronze altar

temple‡

uncertain

Ezek 43:13–17

Restored altar after the Babylonian exile

temple‡

unknown

Ezra 3:2; Neh 10:34

Restored incense altar in the Second Temple

temple‡

unknown

Luke 1:11