Synagogue

= IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF THE JEWS =
Literally, “synagogue” means “a bringing together.” It referred to an [[Assembly|assembly] or congregation of Jews and eventually took on the meaning of the place or building where the assembly was held.
It is believed that synagogues were instituted either during or immediately after the Jews’ 70-year exile in Babylon. Synagogues served as places for instruction, worship, the reading of the Scriptures, and spiritual exhortation. In the first century C.E., each town in Palestine had its own synagogue. Larger cities had more than one, and Jerusalem had many.
Following the Babylonia exile, however, not all the Jews returned to Palestine. Many traveled abroad for business reasons. As early as the fifth century B.C.E., Jewish communities existed throughout the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire. (Esther 1:1; 3:8) In time, Jewish quarters also developed in cities all around the Mediterranean. These scattered Jews came to be known as the Diaspora, or Dispersion, and they too established synagogues wherever they settled.
In the synagogues, the Law was read and expounded every Sabbath. Readings were delivered from an elevated platform, surrounded on three sides by seats. Participation in reading, preaching, and exhortation was open to any devout Jewish male.
Category:Synagogues