Synagogue Worship Space

The synagogue space in which Jews worshiped was treated as sacred space. Worshipers gathered around the symbols that spoke of God's redeeming and revealing activity among them. Synagogue worship was organized around two foci. The first focus of the synagogue was the ark. Everyone, including the rabbi, who sat at the back, looked toward the ark. The original ark was the most holy symbol of the covenant and the only object ever admitted in the Holy of Holies of the temple. The ark, a kind of wooden casket, was understood to be a throne where God, the sole object of the worship of Israel, was present. The ark of the synagogue was an echo of the primitive ark of the tabernacle. It was linked to the ancient ark by the presence of the scrolls of the Torah, the Word of God. Before the ark was the veil, which protected it, and the mnorah, the seven-branched candlestand. In this way Israel preserved its memory of the tabernacle and of God's presence with Israel for the furniture pointed beyon…