Chanukas HaLEGO® Mizbeach

When the Chashmonaim recaptured the Temple many years ago, they were horrified to discover that the Altar had been used for pagan worship. As a result, they disassembled the entire Altar and ramp and built them anew. Through a similar siyata dishmaya (although on a smaller scale - literally and figuratively) I was able to refurbish and add to my LEGO® model of the Altar just in time for Chanukah.

The first minor improvement was to make the Altar slightly taller. For the technically inclined, I switched the vertical amos from four plates to five. Although two studs along the horizontal are the equivalent of five plates in the vertical, I had been using four plates so that [eventually] I could build half-amah structures (such as steps) of two plates. However, when this system was applied to the Altar it made the height look too compressed. The five-plate amah is more accurate and the Altar now looks more robust.

The most important change is the addition of the Altar's main ramp. A generous sponsor saw to it that the appropriate bricks could be purchased, and the results can be seen below. The most challenging aspect of the ramp was finding a brick which matched the required slope of the ramp, but in combination with the above change in the Altar's height, the correct piece turned out to be the 3684 slope brick.

View of the LEGO® Altar and ramp as seen from the southwest.

On the top of the ramp near the southwestern corner of the Altar was a depression which measured 1 amah square and was as deep as a man could reach. This was where unfit bird offerings were kept.

Close-up of the depression for unfit birds.

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