burntoffering

Burnt offering, or korban olah (Hebrew: korban olah, “that which goes up”), is a category of ancient Israelite sacrifice described in the Torah. In this ritual the entire animal offered is burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The skin typically remained the property of the priest, while the rest of the animal was entirely burnt.

The practice is outlined in Leviticus 1 and involves the worshiper bringing the animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting (or the temple precinct). The worshiper lays hands on the head of the animal, which is then slaughtered. The blood is sprinkled around the altar, the carcass is divided, and the priests wash the innards and legs. The pieces, including the fat portions, are arranged on the altar’s wood and burned as a fire offering. No portion is eaten by the offerer; the whole animal is consumed by fire.

Animals permitted include bulls, sheep, or goats, with birds such as turtledoves or young pigeons allowed for the poor. The olah is understood as an expression of devotion or dedication to God and can accompany vows or free-wwill offerings. In the biblical text it is often described as, or associated with, making atonement, though it is not limited to atonement in the way that sin offerings are.

Context and reception: the burnt offering is one of several Levitical sacrifices forming the ancient Israelite cultus. With the destruction of the Temple and the shift to rabbinic Judaism, formal animal sacrifices ceased; in modern scholarship,