Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 12:6-8 (NASB)
Genesis 12 introduces us to altars, and the when it’s brought up, it shows up in the chapter twice.
An alter is a pile of stones. Stones to remind you.
The writers have placed these altars here for us to remember this section of scripture. Perhaps we should pay attention.