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The Ancient Synagogue Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE (Second Edition) / sheet 1 of 814 THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE (Second Edition) / sheet 2 of 814 (Second Edition) / sheet 3 of 814 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE SECOND EDITION THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE The First Thousand Years LEE I. LEVINE YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS / NEW HAVEN & LONDON Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 (Second Edition) / sheet 4 of 814 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE Published with the assistance of the Ronald A catalogue record for this book is available and Betty Miller Turner Publication Fund from the British Library. and the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for Copyright © 2005 by Yale University. All rights permanence and durability of the Committee reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity whole or in part, including illustrations, in any of the Council on Library Resources. form (beyond that copying permitted by 10987654321 Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Set in Janson type by Tseng Information Systems, Inc. Printed in the United States of America by Edwards Brothers, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Library of Congress has catalogued the first edition as follows: Levine, Lee I. The ancient synagogue : the first thousand years / Lee I. Levine. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-300-07475-1 (alk. paper) 1. Synagogues—History—To 1500. 2. Judaism—History—Post-exilic period, 586 b.c.–210 a.d. 3. Judaism—History— Talmudic period, 10–425. I. Title. bm653.l38 1999 296.6'5'0901—dc21 98-52667 cip isbn 0-300-10628-9 (pbk.) Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 (Second Edition) / sheet 5 of 814 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE CONTENTS Preface to the Second Edition ix Preface to the First Edition xi Chronology xv one • Introduction 1 Sources and Methodology • History of Research PART I: THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYNAGOGUE THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD two • Origins 21 State of Research • The City-Gate as Synagogue Forerunner • The Emergence of the Synagogue in the Second Temple Period • Between City-Gate and Synagogue • Concluding Remarks three • Pre-70 Judaea 45 Galilee: some methodological considerations / nazareth / capernaum / tiberias / gamla • Jerusalem • Judaean Desert: masada / Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 (Second Edition) / sheet 6 of 814 vi contents herodium / qumran • The Coastal and Shephelah Regions: dor / caesarea / qiryat sefer / modi‘in (khirbet umm el-‘umdan) • Other 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE Proposed Sites • The Judaean Synagogue in Perspective four • The Pre-70 Diaspora 81 Egypt: epigraphical and papyrological evidence / philo / a rabbinic tradition • Berenice (Cyrene) • Italy: ostia / rome • Delos • Asia Minor and Greece: josephus / new testament / the acmonia inscription • The Kingdom of Bosphorus • Syria • The Diaspora Synagogue in Perspective five• The Second Temple Synagogue— Its Role and Functions 135 The Synagogue as a Community Center • The Synagogue as a Religious Institution: torah reading / reading from the prophets (haftarah)/study and instruction / sermons / targumim / communal prayer • The First-Century Synagogue in Historical Perspective LATE ANTIQUITY six • Late Roman Palestine (70–Fourth Century C.E.) 174 Sources and Methodology: rabbinic material—abundance and scarcity / post-70 synagogues: the archaeological evidence? / synagogue building in the mid third century • Continuity and Change • Synagogues in Roman Palestine—Further Observations seven • Byzantine Palestine 210 Diversity within Commonality • Figural Art in Historical Perspective • Jewish Motifs in the Byzantine-Christian Context • The Synagogue’s Enhanced Religious Dimension • The Impact of Christianity • Concluding Remarks eight • Diaspora Synagogues 250 Archaeological Sites: dura europos / gerasa / apamea / sardis / priene / aegina / plovdiv / stobi / ostia / bova marina / naro (ammam-lif)/ elche • Synagogues of Rome • Babylonian Synagogues • The Centrality of the Diaspora Synagogue • Between Unity and Diversity • Religious Leadership • Synagogues in the Diaspora and Palestine—Similarities and Differences • Some Concluding Thoughts Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 (Second Edition) / sheet 7 of 814 contents vii PART II: THE SYNAGOGUE AS AN INSTITUTION 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE nine • The Building 313 Location • The Synagogue Complex • Architecture • Orientation • Atriums and Water Installations • Entrances • Benches and Columns • Partitions and Balconies • Bimot, Tables, and Platforms • Cathedra of Moses • The Torah Shrine • The Eternal Light and the Menorah • Art • Iconoclasm • A Rabbinic Source on the Synagogue Interior • Inscriptions • Liturgy and Architecture: The Worship Setting ten • The Communal Dimension 381 Community Control • Institutional Functions: meeting place / court / charity / placeofstudy/ library / place of residence / place for individual needs eleven • Leadership 412 Archisynagogue • Other Officials: archon / pater synagoges / mater synagoges / presbyter (elder) / grammateus / phrontistes / azzan / teacher / minor officials • Synagogue Officials in Jewish Palestine and the Diaspora • Conclusions twelve • The Patriarch (Nasi) and the Synagogue 454 Rabbinic Literature • Archaeological Evidence • Epiphanius • The Theodosian Code • Patriarchal Involvement in the Synagogue thirteen • The Sages and the Synagogue 466 Non-Rabbinic Sources • Rabbinic Sources: dissonance between the sages and the synagogue / synagogue versus bet midrash / the sages and figural art • Rabbinic Involvement in the Synagogue • Rabbis and Liturgy • Concluding Remarks fourteen • Women in the Synagogue 499 Attendance • Seating • Liturgical Roles • Benefactors • Officials • Women in Synagogue Life: Historical Perspectives fifteen • Priests 519 Benefactors • Officials • Priests in Synagogue Ritual sixteen • Liturgy 530 Methodological Considerations • The Second Century: torah reading / the ‘amidah / the shema‘ liturgy / other liturgical developments / Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 (Second Edition) / sheet 8 of 814 viii contents rabbinic liturgy and the second-century synagogue / early christian and rabbinic liturgies • Late Antiquity: the third 7276 Levine / THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE century / differences between palestine and babylonia / prayer / qedushah / archaeological evidence for prayer / the torah reading and its accompanying activities / piyyut • Beyond Late Antiquity seventeen • Iconography: The Limits of Interpretation 593 Methodological Considerations • Comparisons with Christian Art • The Use and Abuse of Literary Sources • Limitations in the Interpretation of Jewish Art: menorah / helios and the zodiac signs / programmatic explanations • Concluding Perspectives eighteen • Diachronic and Synchronic Dimensions— The Synagogue in Context 613 Architectural Evidence • Art • Communal Center • Inscriptions • Liturgy • Sanctity • Degrees of Hellenization • Unique Jewish Components • Conclusions nineteen • Epilogue 637 Glossary 641 List of Abbreviations 645 Bibliography 649 Illustration Credits 731 Source Index 735 Subject Index 763 Tseng 2005.6.27 08:20 .
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