Meaning of SYNAGOGUE

(gr. "assembly", "meeting place").
Building intended especially for the public reading and teaching of the Law of Moses and which also served as a court and school.

Before the captivity, the cult, in its highest form, was only celebrated in the Temple of Jerusalem; But the public reading of the Scriptures was also done in other places (Jer. 36:6, 10, 12-15), and people could gather anywhere around the prophets in order to receive their teachings.

These meetings were not for offering sacrifices, but for scripture study and communal prayer.

The term "synagogue" is not found in the OT. However, Ps. 74:8 mentions the destruction of the sanctuary and "all the holy places" or, more literally, "all the places appointed (for the service) of God."

In the Reina-Valera it is unjustifiably translated as "synagogues." In the first century of the Christian era, synagogues were found in all the places where the Jews were found. Even Israelite communities in minor cities outside of Israel had them.

For example, Salamis, in Cyprus (Acts 13:5), Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:14), Iconium (Acts 14:1), Berea (Acts 17:10). Synagogues were often numerous in large cities, such as Jerusalem (Acts 6:9) and Alexandria.

These communities lived independently of the State, and administered their religious and civil affairs by themselves, subjecting themselves, however, to the legislation of the country (Ant. 19:5, 3).

A council of elders ran the synagogue and the religious association it represented (Lk. 7:3-5).
The direction of the cult, the maintenance of order and the care of material matters were the responsibility of several people who were:

(a) The ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8). Certain synagogues had several rulers (Mark 5:22). The principal presided over the service, authorized or designated those who were to pray, read the Scriptures, exhort (Acts 13:15), and ensured the observance of the Jewish prescriptions (Lk. 13:14).

The services were not ensured by the presence of permanent ministers, but by simple individuals qualified for it. Jesus read the Scriptures in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:16), and frequently taught in these meeting places (Matt. 4:23).

In Antioch of Pisidia, the leaders of the synagogue invited Paul and Barnabas to address a few words of exhortation to the faithful (Acts 13:15).

(b) One or more servants took care of material tasks. They carried the sacred scroll to the reader, and then put it back in its place (Lk. 4:20). When the council of elders had to decree corporal punishment against one of the members of the community, the servants inflicted it.

(c) There were also alms givers (cf. Mt. 6:2), in charge of distributing aid to those in need.

(d) The presence of ten men, or more if possible, was required to attend each meeting of the synagogue. They met every Sabbath for worship (Acts 15:21), and also on the second and fifth days of the week, to hear a section of the Law read.

At the Sabbath service, a member of the congregation was in charge of reciting the prayers. Reading Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; No. 15:37-41, and the recitation of 18 prayers and blessings, or just some of them, took up the majority of the service.

As the prayer was offered, those in attendance rose to their feet (Mt. 6:5; Mark 11:25), eventually joining in with a collective “amen.” Several members of the congregation took turns reading a short passage from the Law (Acts 15:21).

This reading was preceded and followed by thanksgiving. Next, the same person who had offered prayer at the beginning of the service now read a section from the prophets.

This same person, or another, developed the passage just read, and gave exhortations based on what was read (Luke 4:16-22; Acts 13:15). The service concluded with the blessing, which was pronounced by a priest, if there was one among those attending. The congregation pronounced the final amen.

The Jews called synagogues “meeting house.” Ruins of these buildings still exist in Galilee: at Tell Hum, which may be the site of Capernaum; in Irbid, in Kefr Bîr'im, in Nebartein, and in some other places. These buildings, rectangular in shape, were oriented from south to north.

The southern façade featured a large door, flanked by two smaller doors; Four rows of columns divided the interior into five naves. At Tell Hum there are Corinthian capitals. In Irbid the columns are of a mixed style, between Corinthian and Ionic.

The lintels of the porches are frequently decorated with vine leaves and bunches of grapes. At Nabartein there is a sculpted motif representing the seven-branched candelabra, accompanied by an inscription. In Kefr Bîr'im the lamb and the pot of manna are divined.

In 1934, during excavations, the Dura-Europus synagogue was discovered, on the right bank of the Euphrates, next to the road from Aleppo to Baghdad. An inscription indicates a date of the year 245 AD.

This synagogue presents some notable frescoes that illustrate biblical scenes; There you can see one of the sources of inspiration for early Christian art.

Synagogue furniture:
The reader's pulpit; a chest or cabinet for sacred scrolls; seats, at least for the elderly and the rich (Mt. 23:6; James 2:2, 3).

The places of honor were near the cabinet that contained the scrolls of Scripture, in front of the assembly, where the men were on one side, and the women on the other.

The sanctions decreed by the rulers of the synagogue were inflicted inside the building, possibly in a separate room (Mt. 10:17; Acts 22:19).

A council of 120 members, organized, it is said, by Nehemiah, around the year 410 BC, is called the "Great Synagogue". (Megilloth 17, 18). Ezra led this council. The prophets transmitted the Law of Moses to this Great Synagogue (Pirke Aboth 1:1).

Simon the Just, who died around 275 BC, was one of its last members. The Sanhedrin took the place of this council (Aboth 10:1). After the return from captivity, the Sanhedrin reorganized the cult, and reunited the canonical books.

This is what Jewish tradition affirms. Neither the Apocrypha, nor Josephus, nor Philo mention the Great Synagogue. Neither do the Scriptures. For this reason its existence has been objected. But this tradition should not be rejected entirely.

It is quite possible that the Great Synagogue was an assembly of scribes who decided on theological questions. During its existence, which lasted little more than a century and a half, the total number of its most eminent members probably reached 120.

The leading scribes, from Ezra to Simon the Just, were part of this council.