What are the Origins of the Synagogues?
The question of synagogue origins is still a matter of debate among researchers. Nevertheless, one view that is gaining momentum holds that, in one sense, “synagogues” have been in existence as long as Israel has been a people. That is to say, if we understand the Greek term synagg in its earliest meaning, i.e., “congregation,” then the “synagogue” on one level was the national and cultic assembly of Israel. Hence synagg is commonly used in the LXX (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) to represent the gathering of the tribes before the Tabernacle (e.g., Lev 8:3, Deut 5:22, LXX). The same word is later used to describe the assembly before the Temple (1 Chr 5:6, LXX). On a more local level, “synagogues” (plural) would have been the popular village or city assemblies, held first at the city gates and later in the agoras or civic squares. At some point, these regular public gatherings moved inside public buildings that the ancients referred to with various words, including synagg (s
