The Hebrews had several kinds of offerings, which they presented at the temple. Some were free-will offerings, and others were of obligation. The first-fruits, the tenths, the fin-offerings, were of obligation; the peace-offerings, vows, offerings of wine, oil, bread, salt, and other things, which were made to the temple or to the ministers of the Lord, were offerings of devotion. The Hebrews called all offerings in general corban. But the offerings of bread, salt, fruits, and liquors, as wine and oil, which were presented to the temple, they called mincha. The sacrifices are not properly offerings, and are not commonly included under that name. See CORBAN and SACRIFICE.

The offerings of grain, meal, bread, cakes, fruits, wine, salt, and oil, were common in the temple. Sometimes these offerings were alone, and sometimes they accompanied the sacrifices. Honey was never offered with the sacrifices; but it might be offered alone in the quality of first fruits. Now these were the rules that were observed in the presenting of these offerings, called in Hebrew mincha, or kerbon mincha; in the Septuagint, offerings of sacrifice; and the same by St Jerom, oblationem sacrificii; but by our translators, meat offerings (Lev. ii. 1. &c.). There were five sorts of these offerings: 1. Fine flour or meal. 2. Cakes of several sorts, baked in an oven. 3. Cakes baked upon a plate. 4. Another sort of cakes, baked upon a gridiron, or plate with holes in it. 5. The first fruits of the new corn, which were offered either pure and without mixture, or roasted or parched in the ear, or out of the ear.

The cakes were kneaded with oil-olive, or fried with oil in a pan, or only dipped in oil after they were baked. The bread offered to be presented upon the altar, was to be without leaven; for leaven was never offered upon the altar, nor with the sacrifices. But they might make presents of common bread to the priests and ministers of the temple. See CAKES, &c.

The offerings now mentioned were appointed on account of the poorer sort, who could not go to the charge of sacrificing animals. And even those that offered living victims were not excused from giving meal, wine, and salt, which was to go along with the greater sacrifices. And also those that offered only oblations of bread or of meal, offered also oil, incense, fats.