Who were the Leaders of the Synagogues?
The organizational structure varied somewhat from synagogue to synagogue. One common scheme had a “ruler of the synagogue,” known variously as an archisynaggos, archn or prostates, at the head of the congregation. He would control the flow of religious services, serve as judge over community disputes, and represent the congregation outside the local community. He was frequently a patron of the synagogue. Surrounding the synagogue ruler was a group known as the “elders” (prebyteroi, gerontes) or “notables” (dynatoi), who served as an advisory panel and assisted in administration and teaching in the synagogues. In additional, one or more trained scribes–most frequently a Levite or priest–maintained the synagogue archives and assisted in the reading and teaching of scripture. Finally, a synagogue assistant (hypertes or nekoros) would oversee the upkeep of the physical plant and assist the synagogue ruler in various servile tasks during assemblies. There are a number of variations on thi
