The עלה (olah- burnt offering) is the first of the qorbanot mentioned in Leviticus chapter 1.
If his offering [qorban] is a burnt offering [olah] from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer [qarab] it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (Leviticus 1:3)
The KJV translates olah as "a burnt sacrifice".
The details of the olah that are described in Leviticus chapter 1 are listed in the chart below.
Olah | |||||
Which Animals? |
Without Defect? |
Slain By Whom? |
Slain Where? | Soothing Aroma? |
Entrails? |
From the herd- oxen & cattle (Lev 1:3) |
Yes- (Lev 1:3) |
Offerer- (Lev 1:4-5) |
Before the tent of meeting- (west of the altar- Lev 1:3) | Yes- (Lev 1:9) |
Washed and burned up- (Lev 1:9) |
From the flock- sheep & goats (Lev 1:10) |
Yes- (Lev 1:10) |
Offerer- (Lev 1:11) |
North of the altar- (Lev 1:11) |
Yes- (Lev 1:13) |
Washed and burned up- (Lev 1:13) |
From the birds- pigeons & doves (Lev 1:14) |
No | Aaronic priest- (Lev 1:15) |
North of the altar- (Lev 1:15-16) |
Yes- (Lev 1:17) |
Discarded east of the altar w/ feathers- (Lev 1:17) |
In all of these cases, the Aaronic priest offers up the blood of the sacrifice and sprinkles it around the altar (Leviticus 1:5, 11, 15) and arranges the pieces of the animal on the altar (Leviticus 1:8, 12).
There is one noted variation in the description of the olah: if the olah is from the herd then the skin is removed before the flesh of the animal is burned up (Leviticus 1:6).
A voluntary offering
Generally speaking, the olah is a voluntary offering that is not compulsory. As noted above the first olah described in Scripture is the result of the voluntary outpouring of thanks towards G-d by Noah.
Law for the Olah
The "law for the olah" is found in Leviticus chapter 6 and includes:
- The olah shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning. (Lev 6:9)
- The fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. (Lev 6:9)
- The priest is to:
- put on his linen robe and undergarments,
- take up the ashes of the olah and place them beside the altar,
- take off his (linen) garments and put on other garments,
- and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. (Lev 6:10-11)
- The priest is to:
- put wood on the altar every morning
- lay out the olah on it
- offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. (Lev 6:12)
- Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out. (Lev 6:13)
Additional instruction for the olah is found in Leviticus 7 and Leviticus 17
- The priest who presents any man's olah, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the olah which he has presented. (Lev 7:8)
- Any person from the house of Israel or from the aliens who sojourn among them who offers a burnt offering and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD shall be cut off from his people. (Lev17:8)