Altar Items

"Altar" has a meaning in the Eastern Orthodox Church that varies with context. Its most common usage does not denote the table itself, but the area surrounding it; that is to say, the entire sanctuary. This includes both the area behind the iconostasis, and the soleas (the elevated projection in front of the iconostasis), and the ambo. When one enters the sanctuary, one is said to be "going into the altar". The altar table itself may be referred to as either the Holy Table or the Throne (Prestól). This section will describe the Holy Table, not the sanctuary.