CENSER, in antiquity, a vase containing incense to be used in sacrifices. Censer is chiefly used in speaking of the Jewish worship. Among the Greeks and Romans it is more frequently called thuribulum, λαζινω, and acerra.
The Jewish censer was a small sort of chafing dish, covered with a dome, and suspended by a chain. Josephus tells us, that Solomon made 20,000 gold censers for the temple of Jerusalem, to offer perfumes in, and 50,000 others to carry fire in.