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The synagogue is a new form of communal institution according
to the Oxford Companion. Whereas in the temple, sacrifice is the primary way to
serve God, the synagogue uses prayer, study, and exhortation. The service is open
(nor restricted relative to inner and outer courts or with respect to Jew or Gentile) with
all ceremonies in plain view. Their origins are far from clear:
Despite its importance
in Jewish history, the origins of the synagogue and its early development are shrouded in
mystery. Only during and after the first century ce does literary and archaeological
evidence appear for Palestine. As for the Roman Diaspora, references before then are
practically nonexistent (and what does exist refers to the Diaspora). Synagogue
inscriptions from third- and second-century bce Egypt have been preserved, as have remains
of a Delos synagogue building dating from the first century bce.
Owing to the paucity of sources, opinions have varied widely as to when,
where, and why the synagogue developed. Theories have ranged from the late First Temple
period (eighth-seventh century bce), through the exilic (sixth century) and postexilic
(fifth century) eras, and down to the late Persian (fourth century) and Hellenistic times
(third or second century). Most scholars have assumed a midway position, one that posits
the emergence of the synagogue closely following the destruction of the First Temple in
587/586 bce, either during the Babylonian exile or soon after, when the Jews returned to
Judea during the era of restoration.
Concerning synagogue services,
Torah-reading was crucial, spread with varying practice over the Jewish year:
While Torah reading was
accepted as normative on Sabbaths and holidays and later on Mondays and Thursdays as well,
the division into weekly portions varied considerably. In Palestine the Torah was read
over a three- or three-and-a-half-year period with a plethora of local traditions on the
precise divisions of the weekly portions (141, 154, 161, 167, and 175). Moreover, the
practice in Babylonian communities living in late Roman and Byzantine Palestine only added
to this diversity: They concluded the Torah reading in one year. How widespread the custom
was of translating the Torah portion into the vernacular is unknown, but the use of Greek
in addition to Aramaic cannot be denied.
A sermon, prayer, and blessings as integral, were also a part of the
service, varying considerable in actual practice.
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