The Sanctuary.

For those who perform divine service, the eastern part of the Church is set aside. It is somewhat raised above the other portion, in order that the service be heard by all present, and is called the Sanctuary. Persons not consecrated to the service of the church are not permitted to enter this part of it. The sanctuary is divided from the worshippers by a curtain, and a partition or screen. In some churches there are several sanctuaries dedicated to the memory of various events and various persons. They are called annexes or chapels.

In the middle of the Sanctuary there stands a square table; it is the altar; also called Holy Throne, because the Lord is present on it, or Holy Table, because upon it Christians are offered the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and made to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. The altar is made square in token that Christ’s doctrine and sacrament are free to men of all four parts of the world.

The altar, as being the place on which rests the Glory of the Lord, is vested with two coverings; the first is of white linen, the second or outer covering is of rich brocade. Upon the altar is laid a silken or linen cloth, on which is represented the Descent from the Cross and the preparation of Christ’s body for interment. This cloth is called the Antimíns, which means “what is instead of the altar.” The origin of the Antimins is as follows: The law demands that a Christian church shall be consecrated by a bishop; and as there was not always one on hand to do so, and, besides, as movable churches had to be organized for travelers, it became usual for bishops to consecrate only the upper boards of the altar, or even only linen or silken cloths, which, after signing them with their name, they sent to newly-built churches, or gave to people who were starting on a journey. Later on, an Antimins became a necessary feature of every altar, even in such churches as had been personally consecrated by bishops. Into every Antimins is sewed a particle of some holy relic (i.e., of the incorruptible remains of Saint’s bodies), in memory of the fact that in early times Christians used to assemble for divine service on or by the tombs of martyrs, and in token that the Saints, being near to God, intercede for us with their prayers. If the church is consecrated by a bishop, the relic is placed under the center of the altar, upon a stand in a special small casket, to keep it from injury; it is wrapped in a silken cloth called pleiton, which means “a wrap.”

Indispensable attributes of the altar are the Cross and the Gospel.* The Cross is laid there as a sign of Christ’s victory over the devil and of our deliverance, and the Gospel, because it is the book which contains the Word of Christ, by following which we may obtain salvation. In the first ages of Christianity, before the execution of criminals by crucifixion had been abolished, Christians used Crosses adorned with ornaments, but without the representation of Christ crucified; sometimes only they painted on it a Lamb, either standing at the foot of the Cross or carrying one.

        The Gospel which is kept on the altar always has a beautiful binding, in the middle of which is a representation of Christ Saviour (mostly of the Resurrection), while the corners are occupied by the four Evangelists. These are represented with their respective symbols, in other words, their characteristics, i.e., signs which allude to the contents of the books they wrote. With the Apostle Matthew we see the face of a man or an angel, in token that Matthew describes Jesus Christ principally as the Son of Man, the descendant of Abraham, as the Messiah expected by Israel, of whom the prophets wrote. The Evangelist Mark represented Christ as the One “Sent of God,” possessed of almighty power, the King of all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, and therefore his symbol is the lion, the mighty king of beasts. The Evangelist Luke, because he represented Christ as the Saviour of all mankind, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of men, has the bull, the animal which the Jews used to sacrifice. The Evangelist John has given us more fully than the other Apostles the lofty doctrine of Christ as the Son of God; hence he is associated with the eagle, the bird which soars high and fixes his gaze on the Sun.

        Besides the Cross and Gospel there stands on the altar an ark or tabernacle, in which are preserved the Holy Gifts (the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood), reserved for giving communion to the sick, and to others at times when it is not lawful to celebrate the Liturgy. These tabernacles are sometimes made in the shape of a coffin, or a sepulchral cave, in which case they are called “Graves”; — at other times in the shape of a temple. A temple-shaped tabernacle, used, in old times, to be called “Sion” or “Jerusalem.”* All tabernacles alike are called cibória. The ciborium used to carry the Holy Gifts into a private house, in order to give communion to a sick person, is a casket with several compartments. In one is placed a very small casket containing particles of the Holy Gifts. In another there is a small chalice with a tiny spoon, and in a third a small vessel with wine and a sponge to clean the chalice with. Such ciboria also are kept on the altar.

The space behind the altar is called Béma or “high place,” because it is sometimes raised above the rest of the Sanctuary. On this spot is placed the Cathedra or throne of the bishop, and on both sides of it are seats for the priests. In our day, the episcopal Cathedræ are placed only in the principal (general) churches (sobór), which hence are called Cathedrals. On the eastern side of the church above the Bema, is a representation of the Saviour, and on both sides of it, are icons of Apostles, but more often of holy bishops. The lampada before the icon of the Bema is called High Light. In very ancient churches where the eastern wall always had a window, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was represented on both sides of it: on one side Christ giving to six apostles His Body in the form of bread, and on the other side Christ giving communion to the other six apostles out of the cup filled with His Blood in the form of wine.

Sometimes a canopy is erected over the altar, on four columns, and beneath it hovers a dove with outspread wings, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.