Chald. attun, a large furnace with a wide open mouth, at the top of which materials were cast in (Daniel 3:22,23; comp. Jeremiah 29:22). This furnace would be in constant requisition, for the Babylonians disposed of their dead by cremation, as did also the Accadians who invaded Mesopotamia.
Heb. tannur, oven for baking bread (Genesis 15:17; Isaiah 31:9; Nehemiah 3:11). It was a large pot, narrowing towards the top. When it was heated by a fire made within, the dough was spread over the heated surface, and thus was baked. "A smoking furnace and a burning lamp" (Genesis 15:17), the symbol of the presence of the Almighty, passed between the divided pieces of Abraham's sacrifice in ratification of the covenant God made with him. (See OVEN.)
