| The
Temple in Jerusalem was the one place where Jews were
permitted to offer sacrifices. The Greek word "synagogue"
refers to a gathering of people, and it was applied to the local assemblies
of Jews who gathered to pray and read from the Scriptures. Synagogues
existed in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9), various communities in Palestine
(Matt 4:23), and other communities throughout the ancient world (Acts
9:20; 13:14; 14:1; 17:1; 18:4). When the Jerusalem Temple was
destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, Jewish worship was increasingly
centered in the home and in local synagogues. |
Synagogue at Capernaum
3rd cent. A.D.
|
