Overview
This
archive contains a collection of ancient literary references to Second Temple synagogues.
In keeping with current scholarly practices, only sources contemporaneous with the Second
Temple period are cited. That is to say, the documents in the archive were either (a)
written prior to 70 CE or (b) written within a generation of the Temple's destruction (c.
100 CE), but with reference back to the period when the Temple still existed.
While each
citation merits a full literary and historical analysis (which I have given in my
book), in the interest of not overwhelming the reader, only brief comments have
been offered. In those cases where, in order to give the reader more context, I have
presented an extended quotation, the narrower synagogue reference has been placed in a
contrasting color.
The
quotations are arranged topically within nearly two dozen pages. Refer to the Table of Contents
below to jump
to those topics with which you have the greatest interest. In many cases, the citations on
each page do not exhaust the literature on the topic, but provide a representative sample.
Where germane, I have added cross-references to other relevant pages within this
site.
Please enjoy!
Note: Translations of Josephus and Philo are from the Loeb Classical Library (LCL);
those of the Pseudepigrapha are from Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Dead Sea
Scroll translations are from James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Dead Sea Scrolls.
Egyptian papyri translations are from Corpus Papyrorum Judaicarum, vol. 1. Unless
otherwise indicated, scripture translations are from the New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV). I have taken the liberty of standardizing the translation of proseuchê
in the LCL and NRSV, which have variously rendered this term as "synagogue,"
"house of prayer," "prayer house," etc. The former of these
translations has been used below.
Table of Contents
Archaeology
