מְקַטֵרָה

# The Hebrew Word מְקַטֵרָה (meqaterah) The Hebrew word מְקַטֵרָה refers to an incense-altar—a piece of ritual furniture used in ancient Israelite religious practice. The term appears only once in the biblical text, making it a relatively rare designation in the Hebrew scriptures. As a specialized cultic object, this incense-altar would have functioned in the ceremonial life of Israel's religious system. The single occurrence limits what can be determined about its full range of meanings or contexts, but the straightforward definition indicates it was a distinct item of temple or sanctuary equipment distinguished from other altars. Its specificity—naming it not simply as an "altar" but as an "incense-altar"—suggests it held a particular purpose within the ritual framework, presumably for burning fragrant offerings. The scarcity of this particular term in biblical literature is notable. While incense-burning was clearly an important practice in Israelite religion, the infrequency of this specific word may indicate that alternative terminology was more commonly used to describe the same object or practice. This suggests that while the thing itself was familiar and significant to ancient readers, this particular Hebrew designation was either regional, technical, or simply less favored than other available terms.