Altar, Wooden, an altar made of wood. Anciently the altar was usually constructed in the form of a table, and hence was called the "divine" or "holy table." The wooden altar-table on which Peter is said to have offered the Christian sacrifice is still preserved at Rome. In the Eastern churches the altars are commonly of this material. The same has been the case in the Church of England since the religious changes of the 16th century. Slabs of stone should be, as they frequently are, placed on the top of the table, which slabs, being marked with five crosses, are that part which is specially consecrated with prayer and unction.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More