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CHAPTERONE

THE

A THE AND THE SYNAGOGlJE

Two important institutions characterize , the Temple and the synagogue. ThroughoutJewish history both have been dominant in Jewish religious, social and cultural life. The Jerusalem Temple was the focal point for the Jewish , the center far and the place where political, economic and spiritual affairs ofworldJewry could be discussed and determined. The Temple of the period resembled the Temple of biblical in its main religious and architectural features. During the first century, the was still the center of worship and ritual of the entire Jewish community in and the . Here could participate in ceremonies and in the teaching of the Law conducted in the Temple courtyards, and could settle administrative questions in the Temple courts. In 70 CE with the destruction ofJerusalem and the Temple, the Jews were forced to look for new ways to worship to replace the Temple and the sacrificial cult. The synagogue with the elevation by the of reading, study and as supplements to the sacrificial cult was the answer to the catastrophe. This new, important and unique Jewish institution was invented during the (Schürer et al. 1979,11:427-428; Cohen 1984:151-174; Safrai 1987:31-51;). The synagogue institution was a revolutionary concept in terms of worship and : first, as a , not only far the privileged few, that is the , but rather for a large, participating community fulfilling the need for individual self-expression; second, as a structure to house the Torah , the central place of worship built onto the Jerusalem ariented wall; and third, as an assembly house used for communal as weH as for religious occasions. Differences between the Temple and the synagogue as religious institutions can be seen in cult, location and participation.

Cult. The Temple was the sole center for religious activity in the form of animal . By contrast, the synagogue was a center for , probably conducted only on feast days and , and prayer, for ritual and for lawgiving. 14 CHAPTER ONE

No textual evidence exists that Torah study in any way replaced the sacrificial cult (Cohen 1984:160). Scripture reading was not a substitute for Temple or : it simply supplemented Temple worship (Safrai 1976b:912). Temple ritual was conducted by the priests who were politically and socially the predominant class. They were assisted by the and the . The priests provided communal and individual offerings and sacrifices, burned , tended to the Menorah in the , participated in rites with the Levites, and sounded two trumpets at the start and conclusion of the daily singing. They were the only ones who had access to the and to the sanctuary. The main elements of Temple worship-offerings and sacrifices-were not transferred to the synagogue, not even symbolically, nor was the priestly role.

Location. The Temple was located in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, the sacred site where the saga of the Sacrifice of took place. This was one temple for the one (, Ant 4, 201; Against Apion 2, 193). On the other hand, were built throughout the and the diaspora, and even private houses could be used as synagogues (Cohen 1984: 171).

Participation. A smalI, exclusive group of priests practiced in the Temple. Entry into the was allowed only to the High himself. Ordinary worshippers were relegated to the outer courtyards of the Temple precincts. Cult was performed by a small group on behalf of the masses. In the synagogue, by comparison, all the participants were involved in the performance and conduct of the ceremonies. Worshippers took turns in reciting and reading the Torah. Cult was conducted by the individualJew (Cohen 1984:161). The relationship between Temple and synagogue is further strengthened by the use of related iconography and symbols of the Temple in the architecture and decoration of synagogues (Chapters 11, VII; see also Branham 1994). The Jewish communities in the Land of Israel and the diaspora were anxious to preserve and remember the sanctity of the Temple, its sacred vessels, its cult and ceremonies, and thus used them in the synagogue decoration as weIl as in the religious services.

B ORIGINS OF THE SYNAGOGUE

The origins of the synagogue is today one of the crucial issues in the study ofJewish history (Hachlili 1997; Levine 1996). Various theories have been promoted con­ cerning the period, the form, function and the location of the first synagogues.