Objects & worship
Burnt offering
An animal sacrifice burned on the altar, without a portion of meat for a shared meal.
Also called · whole offering
What it means
Leviticus requires a male without defect when cattle, sheep, or goats are offered as burnt offerings. The person offering a bull lays a hand on its head; the priests sprinkle its blood around the altar and burn the meat.
The skin belongs to the priest who offers the sacrifice. There are separate instructions for turtledoves or young pigeons: the crop and feathers are discarded, and the priest burns the bird on the altar.
How it appears in the Bible
Leviticus 6 requires the altar fire to remain burning. In Genesis 22, Abraham offers a ram as a burnt offering instead of Isaac.