Origin of the Synagogue

The history of the synagogue as an institution among the Jews is difficult to trace to its source. Its origins seem to lie outside Palestine and apart from that sector of Jewish life which governed the nation and shaped the Old Testament. By the time of the New Testament, the synagogue had become established as the central institution of local Jewish life. Roots in the Exile The word synagogue is derived from the term for any gathering of people for religious or secular purposes. It is derived from the common verb meaning "to gather," "to gather together," "to bring together" (Matt. 2:4 "assembling"; Mark 6:30; Luke 12:1; John 8:2). The nominal form is used for any type of area or location where things or people gather or are gathered. The removal of the Levitical and other priestly officers from Jerusalem deprived the temple of its necessary complement of attendants. The prohibition of journeys to Jerusalem and the loss of revenue must have rendered the unified cult center inope…