The name comes from the Greek word instead and the Latin word mensa, which means table. It is a piece of fabric decorated with sacred images and symbols, in the center of which the burial of the Lord or the crucifixion are usually depicted, and it is used as a portable altar table. Its appearance in the ecclesiastic ritual allegedly started in the era of Iconoclasm when Orthodox Christians were driven out of their churches, so it became necessary for Christian worship to be moved into houses or in the countryside. The antimension, just like the altar table, bears relics of holy martyrs, which are sewn in at least one of its corners and constitute essential elements for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. The use of Antimension in Orthodoxy continues until today, as it is necessary in order to carry out rituals outside sacred sites, such as in military camps, but also within the chapels or churches whose altar tables have not been consecrated yet.