Altars and Infographics in the Faithlife Study Bible

Infographics are a tremendous resource for studying the Bible. They help us picture what we’re reading, and they visualize concepts that may be foreign to us, allowing for much greater understanding. And you’re in luck—the Faithlife Study Bible is full of biblical infographics!

For an example, let’s take a look at altars in the Bible, as displayed through FSB infographics. If we search the Bible for “altar,” we’ll find the first reference in Genesis 8:20. Noah and his family had just come off the ark, and Noah built an altar for sacrifice to God. According to the FSB study notes, “The sacrifice . . . likely symbolized a restoration of harmony between God, creation, and humanity.”
The study notes for Genesis 8:20 include a link to the Ancient Altars infographic:

This infographic provides a quick look at seven different kinds of altars in the Bible, along with a brief description of each one. Back in the study notes for Genesis 8:20, you’ll also find a table of altars in the Old Testament. It links to verses where altars are found, and it describes which kind of altar was used in each instance (if known).
As you study through these references, you’ll come across more infographics, giving specific information on each of the seven kinds of altars. For example, the Altar of the Tabernacle infographic provides these fascinating details:

This mobile altar was used by the Israelites before the construction of the temple. Made of acacia wood and covered with bronze, it was light enough for the Levites to carry during the wilderness wanderings. It was 7½’ wide, and 4½’ tall (Exod 27:1–8).

To prevent the fire of the sacrifice from destroying the wood underneath the bronze, the altar may have been filled with stone or dirt to absorb the heat. Yahweh may have also intended for the altar to burn up, so that the people would never consider it an idol. Having to constantly rebuild it would have helped them realize its finite nature, and view it as only a symbol of Yahweh’s infinite presence.

Check out the seven infographics on different altars:

• A Single Stone Altar
• An Altar of Earth
• An Altar of Stones
• A Horned Altar
• The Altar of the Tabernacle
• Solomon’s Bronze Altar
• Ezekiel’s Altar

Then take a look at all the other infographics contained in the FSB. Let us know in the comments which FSB infographic is your favorite.

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