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/bee"meuh/, n., pl. bemata /-meuh teuh/, bemas.1. Eastern Ch. the enclosed space surrounding the altar; the sanctuary or chancel.2. (in a Christian basilica) an open space between the end of the nave arcade and the apse.3. bimah.4. a platform for public speaking.[1675-85; < Gk bêma step, platform, equiv. to be- (verbid s. of baínein to step, go; see COME) + -ma (n. suffix denoting result of action)]
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(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.* * *
(Greek bēma, “step”), raised platform; in antiquity it was probably made of stone, but in modern times it is usually a rectangular wooden platform approached by steps. Originally used in Athens as a tribunal from which orators addressed the citizens as well as the courts of law, the bema later became a standard fixture in Christian churches. In Early Christian basilicas it functioned as a stage for the seating of clergy, first in the chancel and later in the apse. The bema also appears in synagogues, and from it the Pentateuch and Torah are read. Rabbinical authorities disagree about its placement, however, and it has no fixed position.* * *
Universalium. 2010.