A raised platform or pulpit in ancient churches, typically accessed by steps, used for reading the scriptures.
From Greek 'anabathron' (a step or platform to ascend), derived from 'ana-' (up) and 'bainein' (to go), literally meaning something you climb up to reach.
The anabathrum evolved into the modern pulpit and ambo, showing how church architecture was designed to literally elevate the reader above the congregation—a physical manifestation of authority that's been copied for centuries!
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