bema (redirected from bemata)

bema

(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.

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bema

1. A transverse space in a church a few steps above the floor of the nave and aisles, and separating them from the apse.

2. In a synagogue, a raised pulpit from which the Torah (Holy Bible) is read.