SYNAGOGUE (sin 'a-gog),(Heb.r3;.F.3 r bayth hak-ken-ay'sefh, a Jewish place of worship).
(1) Name. The Greek from which the word is immediately derived (crum-ycer)), denotes 'an assembly; being similar in meaning to Itcancrict, whence our 'church' is taken. Both terms ori ginally signified an assembly or congregation ; but afterwards, by a natural deflection of meaning, they both came to designate the building in which such church or assembly met. The Hebrew phrase ('house of assembly') is more strictly descriptive of the place than were originally 'synagogue' and 'church.' The latter word retains its ambiguity; the former has lost it. signifying now and in the time of our Lord exclusively a building.
(2) Origin. The precise age of the introduc tion of synagogues among the Israelites it does not appear easy to determine. In all probability, however, they had their origin about the period of the exile ; and there were then peculiar circum stances which called for their establishment. De prived of the solemnities of their national worship, yet still retaining their religious convictions, and keenly feeling the loss they had endured, earnestly, too, longing and praying for a restoration of their forfeited privileges, the captive Israelites could not help meeting together for the purposes of mutual sympathy, counsel, and aid, or of prayer and other devout exercises. But prayer makes every spot holy ground. Some degree of secrecy, too, may have been needful in the midst of scoffing and scornful enemies. Thus houses of prayer would arise; and the peculiar form of the syna gogue worship—namely, devotion apart from ex ternal oblations—would come into being. The authority of the Talmudists (such as it is) would go to show that a synagogue existed wherever there were ten families. What, however, is cer tain is, that in the times of Jesus Christ syna gogues were found in all the chief cities and lesser towns of Palestine. From Acts vi :9, it appears that every separate tribe and colony had a syna gogue in Jerusalem. - (3) Location. Synagogues were built some times on the outside of cities, but more frequently within, and preferably on elevated spots. At a later period they were fixed near burial places. A peculiar sanctity was attached to these spots, even after the building had fallen to ruin (Mishna. Megill. 3, 3).
(4) Worship. In the Synagogue pious Israel ites assembled every Sabbath and festival day, the women sitting apart from the men (Philo, Opp. ii, ; and at a later period, on every sec ond and fifth day of each week (T. Hieros. Megill, 75, 1; Babyl. Babd. Kama, 82, 1), for the purposes of common prayer, and to hear portions of the sacred books read ; which was performed sometimes by any one of the company (Luke ii : 16), or, according to Philo (Opp. ii, 63o, ed. Mang.), by any one of the priests or elders who expounded each particular passage as he pro ceeded. The writings thus read aloud and ex pounded were the Law, the Prophets, and other Old Testament books (Acts xiii :15 ; xv :21 ; Mishna, Megill. 3, 4; Eichhorn, &Welt. ins A. T.
ii, 458, sq.).
(5) Minister. The expositor was not always the same person as the reader (Philo, Opp. ii, 458, 476). A memorable instance in which the reader and the expositor was the same person, and yet one distinct from the stated functionary, may be found in Luke iv :16, sq., in which our Lord read and applied to himself the beautiful passage found in the prophecy of Isaiah (Ixi :4)• After the reading and exposition were con cluded, a blessing was pronounced, commonly by a priest. The people gave a response by utter ing the word Amen; when the assembly broke up (1 Cor. xiv :6).
At the head of the officers stood the 'ruler of the synagogue' who had the chief direction of,all the affairs connected with the purposes for which the synagogue existed (Luke viii :49 ; xiii :14 ; Mark v :35, sq.; Acts xviii :8; Vitringa, Archisy nag, Observat. wads Illustrat.). Next in rank were the elders (Luke vii :3), called also 'heads of the synagogue' (Mark v :22: Acts xiii :15), as well as 'shepherds' and 'presidents,' who formed a sort of college or body under the presidency of the chief ruler. There was in the third place the legatos ecclesia., 'the angel of the church,' who hi the synagogue meetings acted commonly as the speaker, or as the Protestant minister, conducting the worship of the congre gation (Mislma, Rash Hasshana, 4, 9), as well as performing on other occasions the duties of secretary and messenger (Schottgen, Hor. Heb.
lo89, sq.). Then came, fourthly, 'the minister' (Luke iv :20), the attendant who handed the books to the reader, was responsible for the cleanli ness of the room, and for its order and decency, and opened and closed the synagogue, of which he had the general care. In addition, there prob ably were almoners or deacons (Matt. vi :2), who collected, held, and distributed the alms of the charitable.
(6) Furniture. In regard to the furniture of the synagogue, seats merely are mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. xxiii :6; James ii :3). The 'chief seats,' or rather 'front seats' (rporroKaecoplat), were occupied by the Scribes and Pharisees, The outfit may have been more simple in the days of Christ ; still there was probably then, as well as at a later period, a sort of 'pulpit' (filip.u.), and a 'desk' or 'shelf,' for holding the sacred books Beraeh, v, 3; Rash Hasshana, 4, 7; Megilla, 3, ; Sabb. r6, I). Some sort of sum mary judicature seems to 'have been held in the synagogues, and punishments of flogging and beating inflicted on the spot (Matt. x: 17 ; xxiii :34 ; Mark xiii :9; Luke xii :it ; 12; Acts xxii :19 ; xxvi itt ; i Cor. xi :22). The causes of which cognizance was here taken were perhaps exclusively of a religious kind. Some expressions in the Talmud seem to imply that a sort of judicial triumvirate presided in this court (Mislma, Sanhed. i ; Maccoth, 3, 12). It cer tainly appears from the New Testament that heresy and apostasy were punished before these tribunals by the application of stripes. (See SAN IIEDRIM.) J. R. B.