A prosphora (, offering, or in Demotic Greek πρόσφορον) is a small loaf of leavened bread used in Orthodox Christian, Eastern Lutheran and Greek Catholic (Byzantine) liturgies. The classical plural form is prosphorai (). The term originally meant any offering made to a temple, but in Orthodox Christianity, as well as Byzantine Rite Lutheranism and Catholicism, it has come to mean specifically the bread offered at the Eucharist during Divine Liturgy.
Baking
thumb|Greek-style prosphora seal, for one large loaf: in the center is the [[Lamb (liturgy)|Lamb (symbol: IC XC NI KA Christogram), to the viewer's right is the Panagia (symbol: ()), to the left are the Nine Angelic Ranks (symbol: nine triangles), and on the top and bottom are extra Lambs for Presanctified (symbol: said Christogram). The positions of the Panagia and Nine Ranks will be reversed when the impression is made.]]
thumb|Russian-style prosphora seal, for five small identical loaves
thumb|[[Mount Nebo (Jordan) 5th-century monastery Prosphora inscription in Greek: "Offering of Caesarios, at the time of Alexios and Theophilos, priests"]]
thumb|Saints Spyridon and Nicodemus, prosphora bakers of the [[Kyiv Caves Monastery ]]
A prosphoron is made from only four ingredients, wheat flour (white), yeast, salt, and water.
In the Slavic practice (Ukrainian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc.) five smaller prosphora are used, in commemoration of the five loaves Jesus used to feed the multitudes. The Greek practice involves one larger prosphoron, in commemoration of the unity of all who share the one "Bread" .
Russian Orthodox monasteries or churches may assign the task of baking the prosphora (, also prosfira () to prosforniki () - singular form: prosfornik () or to female prosfirni ( - singular form ).
Divine liturgy
thumb|300px|The [[Lamb (Liturgy)|Lamb and particles placed on the diskos during the Divine Liturgy]]
In the part of the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) known as the Liturgy of Preparation (Proskomedia), a cube is cut from the center of the prosphoron, and is referred to as the Lamb (). It is this Lamb which is consecrated into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ and from it both the clergy and the faithful will receive the Most Holy Eucharist, while the rest of the prosphora which was not consecrated into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ is cut up for the antidoron, the blessed bread which is distributed at the end of the Liturgy.
The motto "the loaf of Nature's kitchen table," a common metaphor for returning thanks and agape (unconditional love) back to nature, is derived from prosphora.
Prosphora can vary in size and imprinted design in different liturgical traditions. Generally, the Slavic traditions use five small prosphora with a simpler stamp, while the Greek-Byzantine tradition uses one large prosphoron with a more complex stamp, indicating the place from which the Lamb is to be taken and the places from which particles are removed for each of the remaining commemorations.
In addition to the Lamb, particles are removed from the prosphoron to commemorate the following: