Results for bema
On this page:
 
Dictionary:

bema

  (bē'mə) pronunciation
n., pl. -ma·ta (-mə-tə).
  1. Judaism. The platform from which services are conducted in a synagogue. Also called almemar.
  2. Eastern Orthodox Church. The area of a church in which the altar is located; the sanctuary.

[Ultimately from Greek bēma, step, platform.]


 
 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: bema

(Greek: "step") Raised stone platform originally used in Athens as a tribunal where orators addressed the citizens and courts of law. In modern times it is usually a rectangular wooden platform. The bema became a standard fixture in Eastern Orthodox churches, functioning as a stage for the altar and clergy. In synagogues, the bema (or bimah) is a raised platform with a reading desk from which the Torah and passages from the Prophets are read.

For more information on bema, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture: bema


1. A transverse space in a church a few steps above the floor of the nave and aisles, and separating them from the apse.
2. In a synagogue, a raised pulpit from which the Torah (Holy Bible) is read.

 
Archaeology Dictionary: bema

[Co]

The rostrum for public speaking commonly found in a Greek agora.
 
WordNet: bema
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing
  Synonyms: chancel, sanctuary

 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "bema" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Archaeology Dictionary. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In:

 |  More >More >
 

Do you have the answers?