There was, moreover, a perpetual light (T) -mil), which was evidently in imitation of the temple light (Exod. xxvii. 2o). This sacred light was religiously fed by the people, and in case of any special mercy vouchsafed to an individual, or of threatening danger, a certain quantity of oil was vowed for the perpetual lamp. This light was the symbol of the human soul (Prov. xx. 27), of the divine law (Ibid. vi. 23), and of the manifestation of God (Ezek. 2). It must, however, be re marked, that though the perpetual lamp forms an essential part of the synagogical furniture to the present day, and has obtained among the Indians, Greeks, Romans, and other nations of antiquity (Rosenmiiller, Morgenland,ii. 156), yet there is no .nention made of it in the Talmud.
Besides meetings for worship, the synagogues, or more properly the rooms connected with them, were also used as courts of justice for the local Sanhedrim (Targum Jonathan on Amos v. 12, 15 ; 9crusalatz Sanhedrin,i ; .77rusalem Baba Mezia, ii. 8 ; Babylon Kethuboth, 5 a ; Sabbath, Iso a), and in it the beadle of the synagogue administered the forty stripes save one to those who were sen tenced to be beaten (Mishna Maccoth, 12, with Matt. x. 17 ; xxiii. 34). Travellers, too, found an asylum in the synagogue, meals were eaten in it (Pesachint, lot ; Bereshith Rabba, cap. xlv.), and children were histructed therein (ICiddrahi7g, 3o a ; Baba Bathra, 21 a ; Taanith, 24 b ; Berachothl 17 a ; Yebamoth , 65 b). This, however, did not de tract from its sanctity ; for the synagogue once used for the divine worship was only allowed to be sold on certain conditions (Miskna Megilla, i. 2).
3. The officers ana' governnzent of the Synagogue. —The synagogues of the respective towns were governed by the elders (inpt, irprcrp6repoe, Luke vii. 3), who constituted the local Sanhedrim, con sisting either of the twenty-three senators or the three senators assisted by foul principal members of the congregation (Megilla, 27 ; Joseph. Antiq.
iv. 8, 14 ; de Bell. jird. 11. 20. 5, with Acts vii. 5; XXi. 8), as this depended upon the size am: population of the place [SANHEnuim]. Hence these authorised administrators of the law weie alternately denominated shepherds (D'OnD = roz y&fs, jerusalem Pea, viii. Babylon Chagega, 60 ; Sabbath, 17 a ; Acts xx. 28 ; Eph. iv. 1); the rulers of the synag-ogue, and the chufs (1107Jri'VN1 =4Xtoureti-yuryot, lipxorres, Matt. ix. 18, 23 ; Mark v. 22 ; Luke viii. 41 ; Acts xiii. 15), and over seers (')I1V:=--71-pocarCores, Afishna Teramid, v. 1).
The president of the Sanhedrim was ex officio the head or chief of the synagogue, and was there fore KCIT' *AP, the ruler of the synagogue (n.11 11:17771=etpxeo-unt-yeeyos,1111sheza yoma,vii.i; Sota, vii. 7), whilst the other members of this body, according to their various gifts, discharged the dif ferent functions in the synagogue (I Tim. v. 17), as will be seen from the following classification.
The Ruler of theSynagogzee (nom -=cipxL crioci-yuryos), and his two Associates.—Though the supreme official, like the other two members of the local court, had to be duly examined by delegates from the Great Sanhedrim, who certified that he possessed all the necessary qualifications for his office (Maimonides, lad Ha-Chezaka, Hilchoth San hedrin, ii. 8; [SANIIEDRIm]), yet his election en tirely depended upon the suffrages of the members of the synagogue. The Talmud distinctly deLlares that no ruler (DM = iroimp) is appointed over a congregation unless the congregation is consulted' (a4n7n) iz nN t•6t.: -11zyn Sp ore ri+nv* r:t 11=3, Berachoth, 55 a). But once elected the ruler was the third in order of precedence in the temple synagogue—i.e. first came the high-priest, then the chief of the priests (pD), and then the ruler of the synagog,ue (Mishna joma, vii. ; Sota, vii. 7), whilst in the provincial synagogues the respective rulers were supreme, and had the principal voice in the decision and distribution of the other offices. His two judicial colleagues aided him in the administration of the law.
lg.. The three Almoners (rip-1y +taa=a.spo, , Phil. i. ; I Tim. iii. 8, 12 ; iv. 6).—The office of almoner was both very responsible and difficult, as the poor-taxes were of a double nature, and in periodically collecting and distributing the alms, the almoner had to exercise great discretion from whom to demand them and to whom to give them.
There were, first, thealms thedish (+)ron), con sisting of articles of food which had to be collected by the officials daily, and distributed every even ing, and to which every one had to contribute who resided thirty days in one place ; and there were, secondly, the alms of the box (rInlp), consisting of money which was collected every Friday, was dis tributed weekly, and to which every one had to contribute who resided ninety (lays in one place.
Two authorised persons had to collect the former, and three the latter. They were obliged to keep together, and were not allowed to put into their pockets any money thus received, but were to throw it into the poor-box. The almoners had the power of exempting from these poor-rates such people as they believed to be unable to pay, and to enforce the tax on such as pretended not to be in a position to contribute. They had also the power to refuse alms to any whom they deemed unworthy of them. All the three almoners bad to be present at tbe distribution of the alms. The greatest care was taken by the rulers of the synagogue and the con gregation, that those elected to this office should be men of honesty, wisdom, justice, and have the confidence of tbe people' (Baba Bathra, 8 • Aboda Sara, 18 ; Taanith, 24; Maimonides, d I-la Chezaka Ifilchoth Alathenath Anjim, ix.) 13rothers were ineligible to this office ; the almoners (ront mply were not allowed to be near relations, and had to be ,elected by the unanimous voice of the people (9erusalem Pea, viii.) in. The Legate of the congregation, or the Leader of divine worshiP (11ZV r6t..'7= dryeXos exicXno-tav, thr60-roXos). —To give unity and harmony to the worship, as well as to enable the congregation to take part in the responses, it was absolutely necessary to have one who should lead the wor ship. Hence, as soon as the legal number required for public worship had assembled (1,)n), the ruler of the synagogue (Min =ron,o)v), or, in his absence, the elders (Inpt=rpeo-pirrepot), delegated one of the congregation to go up before the ark to con duct divine service. The function of the apostle of the ecclesia (1113 ri't!,') was not permanently 1 vested in any single individual ordained for this purpose, but was alternately conferred upon any lay member who was supposed to possess the qualifications necessary for offering up prayer in the name of the congregation. This is evident from the reiterated declarations both in the Mishna and the Talmud. Thus we are told that any one who is not under thirteen years of age, and whose garments are not in rags, may officiate before the ark (Afishna A/4111a, iv. 6), that if one is before the ark [= ministers for the congregation], and makes a mistake [in the prayer], another one is to minister in his stead, and he is not to decline it on such an occasion' (Nish= Berachoth, v. 3). The sages have transmitted that he who is asked to conduct public worship is to delay a little at first, saying that he is unworthy of it, and if he does not delay he is like unto a dish wherein is no salt, and if he delays more than is necessary he is like unto a dish which the salt has spoiled. How is he to do it Y The first time he is asked, he is to decline ; the second time, he is to stir ; and the third time, Ile is to move his legs and ascend before the ark' (Berachoth, 34 b). Even on the most solemn oc casions, when the whole congregation fasted and assembled with the president and vice-president of the Sanhedrim for national humiliation and prayer, no stated minister is spoken of ; but it is said that one of the aged men present is to deliver a peniten tial address, and another is to offer up the solemn prayers (Alishua Taanith, ii. 1-4 [FAsTs]). On ordinary occasions, however, the rabbins, who were the rulers of the syna.gogue, asked their dis ciples to act as officiating ministers before the ark (Berachoth, 34 a). But since the sages declared that 'if the legate of the congregation (112Y 6-rycXos etocXnaircs, eirrOrproNos) commits a mistake whilst officiating, it is a bad omen for the congre gation who delegated him, because a man's deputy is like the man himself' (Nishna Berachoth, v. 5); and moreover, since it was felt that he who con ducts public worship should both be able to sym pathise with the wants of the people and possess all the moral qualifications befitting so holy a mis sion, it was afterwards ordained that even if an elder (1p1=-a-pecrpirepos) or sage is present in the congregation, he is not to be asked to officiate be fore the ark, but that man is to be delegated who is apt to officiate, who has children, whose family are free from vice, who has a proper beard, whose gar ments are decent, who is acceptable to the people, who has a good and amiable voice, who understands how to read the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagio grapha, who is versed in tbe homiletic, legal and traditional exegesis, and who knows all the bene dictions of the service' (Alzshna Taanith, ii. 2 ; Gemara, ibid. 16 b ; Maimonides, lad Ha Chezaka Ifilchoth Tephila, viii. II, 12, with z Tim. iii. 1-7 ; Tit. i. 1-9). As the legate of the people, the most sacred portions of the liturgy (ex.