Synagogue

The Fall of Samaria

• “The ten northern tribes of Israel which rebelled against the Davidic dynasty in the tenth century B.C. were conquered by Assyria when their capital of Samaria fell in 722/721 B.C. (2 Kings 17)” (Everett Ferguson, “A History of Palestine From the Fifth Century B.C. to the Second Century A.D.,” The World of the New Testament, Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Co., Inc., 1967, p. 37).

The Fall of Samaria• Under Assyrian policy, the bulk of the

population was deported, resulting in their loss of identity.

• A lack of distinctive religious faith led to their quick absorption into the general population and culture.

• Other conquered people were brought into Israel.

• Israelite priests were put in place to teach the new residents how to worship the Lord, resulting in a religion and people with mixed pagan elements (Ferguson, p. 37).

The Fall of Judah• Judah continued until 587/586 B.C. when

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem (2 Kings 25).

• Most of the people were exiled to Babylon where they joined those already deported (Daniel 1; 2 Kings 24).

• Only the poor were left in the land.• Some chose to seize Jeremiah and flee to

Egypt rather than going into Babylon, thus starting the dispersion of the Jews (Ferguson, pp. 37-38).

The Persian Empire

• From 550-539 B.C., Cyrus overthrew the king of Media, defeated Croesus, the king of Lydia and the Greek cities of Asia Minor, and attacked the Babylonian kingdom of Nabonidus, claiming the city of Babylon without a fight.

• Under Cyrus, the Persians reversed the policies of Assyria and Babylon by encouraging people to return to their homeland (Ferguson, p. 38).

Cyrus’ Proclamation

• In 538/537 B.C., Cyrus issued a proclamation which allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4).

• However, a number of Jews were fully settled in their homes in exile in Babylon and Egypt (Jeremiah 29) and did not choose to return to the land of Israel (Ferguson, pp. 38-39).

Cyrus’ Proclamation• Those returning to Israel depended on the

royal treasury and the support of their countrymen.

• Through the efforts of Haggai and Zechariah, early discouragement was overcome and the second temple completed.

• Ezra, the scribe, led a second group back, likely in 458/457 B.C.– “Scribes replaced priests as interpreters of the

law, and in the absence of prophetic revelation, scribal interpretation became the authority” (Ferguson, pp. 39-40).

Alexander’s Policy

• Alexander the Great “removed a great number of Jews to his new city of Alexandria, and there conferred upon them many and important privileges, setting an example which Ptolemy Soter and Philadelphus were alike not slow to follow” (G. F. Maclear, A Class-Book of New Testament History, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1952, p. 107).

The Impact of Alexander

• Greek became almost the universal language of the world after the conquests of Alexander.

• “The mass of the poorer population at Rome were Greek either in descent or speech. The Jews, therefore, dispersed by Ptolemies and the Seleucidae over the shores of the Mediterranean, were forced to adopt the Grecian language, and to use the Septuagint translation made at Alexandria, hence their name of Hellenists, or ‘Jews of Grecian speech’” (Maclear, pp. 109-110).

Ezekiel and Ezra

• During the exile, some elders would come to Ezekiel to receive instruction from God (Ezekiel 8:1; 14:1; 20:1).

• Ezra seems to have instituted similar meetings in Palestine following their return from exile (Ezra 8:15; Nehemiah 8:2, 13; 9:1-3).

The Origin of the Synagogues

• “That Synagogues originated during, or in consequence of, the Babylonish captivity, is admitted by all….We can readily understand how, during the long years of exile in Babylon, places and opportunities for common worship on Sabbaths and feast-days must have been felt almost a necessity” (Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah, MacDonald Publishing Company, n.d., p. 197).

The Origin of the Synagogues

• “After the return to Palestine, and still more by ‘the dispersed abroad,’ such ‘meeting-houses’…would become absolutely requisite. Here those who were ignorant even of the language of the Old Testament would have the Scriptures read and ‘targumed’ to them. It was but natural that prayers, and, lastly, addresses, should in course of time be added” (Edersheim, p. 197).

The Arrangement of the Synagogue

• In certain places, the synagogue was set on the highest ground available, but such was not always the case.

• Worshipers entering and kneeling to pray would be facing toward Jerusalem.

• A veil divided the room into two parts, with the chief seats being immediately in front of it.

The Furniture of the Synagogue

• “We only know that there was a movable ark in which the rolls of the Law and the Prophets were kept” (Paul Levertoff, “Synagogue,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume V, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974, p. 2878).

• The ark was kept behind the veil.

Officers of the Synagogue

• The elders acted as a committee of management.

• The ruler, or rulers, presided over the elders and superintended the services.

• The servant (deacon) who attended to the lighting and cleaning of the synagogue and was in charge of scourging.

• The delegate of the congregation who read the scripture and led prayers.

Officers of the Synagogue

• The interpreter was responsible for translating the Hebrew into Aramaic.

• Ten men called the Batlanim (men of leisure) who attended all the gatherings.

• The almoners, two of whom collected alms for the poor and three of whom distributed the same (Levertoff, pp. 2878-2879).

Synagogue Worship

• “The worship of the Synagogues was on the model of the Temple Services, and at the same hours, the third, sixth, and ninth” (Maclear, p. 112).

• Those entering bowed toward the ark and took their seats, with the rich going up to the chief seats.

• A prayer was said and psalm sung (Ibid).

Synagogue Worship

• The deacon then reverently drew aside the veil, took out the Book of the Law and walked toward a platform in the center of the building where the delegate would be ready to read.

• A portion was read from the Book of the Law and another portion from the Prophets, according to a fixed order.

• Then, an elder would deliver a word of exhortation (Maclear, p. 112).

The Number and Purpose of the Synagogues

• In Jerusalem, synagogues were built “for the use of foreign Jews of Cilicia, Alexandria, and other countries, resident in or visiting the capital” (Acts 6:9).

• If no synagogue was built in a city, a “Place of Prayer” would be erected.

• Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath in these scattered places of worship, which “tended to keep alive Israel’s hopes of the Advent of the Messiah” (Maclear, p. 113, see Acts 15:21).

Jesus and the Synagogues• At Capernaum, Jesus healed a demonic in a

synagogue (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37).• Jesus taught in the synagogues of Galilee

(Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:14-15, 42-44).

• Jesus healed a man with a withered hand in a synagogue (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11).

• In Capernaum, a centurion was commended to Jesus by the elders of the Jews because he had built a synagogue for them (Matthew 8:1, 5-13; Luke 7:1-10).

Jesus and the Synagogues

• Jesus healed the daughter of Jarius, who was a ruler of the synagogue (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-56).

• Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues of Galilee (Matthew 9:35-38; 10:1, 5-42; 11:1; Mark 6:6-13; Luke 9:1-6).

Jesus and the Synagogues

• In Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah 41:1-2 and said it was fulfilled that day (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-31).

• He taught in the synagogue and healed a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-21).

• Jesus did extensive teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, which was constructed by the centurion (John 6:22-71).

Jesus and the Synagogues• When Jesus healed a blind man on the

Sabbath, his parents would not answer the Pharisees for fear of being cast out of the synagogue (John 9:1-41).

• Many of the rulers believed on Jesus but would not confess it because they feared the Pharisees would cast them out of the synagogue (John 12:20-43).

• Jesus told the High Priest he had spoken openly in the synagogues (John 18:12-14, 19-23).

Synagogue in Jesus’ Teaching• One who trumpets his almsgiving, or prays

to be seen of men has already received his reward (Matthew 6:2, 5).

• Jesus warned of the scribes and Pharisees’ love of the chief seats in the synagogues (Matthew 23:6; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 11:43; 20:46).

• Jesus pronounced a woe upon the scribes and Pharisees because they would scourge those prophets, wise men and scribes he sent out (Matthew 23:34; compare Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11-12; 21:12; John 16:1-2).

Synagogues in Acts

• Paul went to Damascus to seek people of the Way in the synagogues, but ended up preaching Christ there (Acts 9:2, 20).

• In every city, Paul first entered the synagogue (Acts 13:5, 14-15, 42; 14:1; 17:1-4, 10, 16-17; 18:1-4, 7-8, 19: 19:1, 8).

• In Philippi, Paul and his companions went to the place of prayer beside the river (Acts 16:13).

• Apollos taught in the synagogue (Acts 18:24-26).

Benefits of the Synagogue

• Maintained a distinct Jewish identity

• Maintained reading the Law and Prophets

• Maintained a hope of the coming Messiah

• Established a different type of worship which included an explanation of Scripture

• Gives us a clearer view of some of the passages we read in the New Testament