Page 50 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 50
Jesus read from scroll of Isaiah (61) and preached
his inaugural address at the synagogue in Nazareth.
Photos: Reynold Mainse
The synagogue was designed to accommodate up; however, the person delivering the sermon
a crowd. It had a high ceiling supported by stayed seated! Men and women, young and
rows of columns and numerous windows old, all attended the Sabbath synagogue
for light and fresh air. When the synagogue services as the Talmud and New Testament
functioned as a town hall, there was plenty of indicate.
room for the residents of the city or town to
assemble for meetings or celebrations. They As is the case today, even in the irst century
could hold debates and vote on important synagogues were not exactly alike. They
measures that afected the entire community. normally had tiers of seats, much like a football
stadium, or the seats here in the Nazareth
Every synagogue had a small room to one side Village synagogue. This arrangement allowed
of the larger room, which was used as a library those present to see one another “eye to
or archive. Inside, valuable scrolls of the Law eye” and gave everyone a view of who was
(Torah) and Prophets could be stored. The Jesus preaching in the synagogue. speaking—everyone that is, except for those
synagogue building may have also been the who were unfortunate enough to be stuck
place where contracts were witnessed, and a behind a column! Just like sports stadiums
locked archive of legal documents was kept. People gather outside the today, the lower seats were considered the
synagogue at Nazareth Village. best in the house. In fact, they were reserved
When a trial was held, the synagogue became for the elders, high-ranking scholars and
a courtroom. In the New Testament, Jesus honored guests.
mentions the “seat of Moses” (Matthew
23:1), the judges seat during a trial from Nazareth Village invites visitors to stand, or
which the rabbi could hand down a sentence. sit, in the synagogue. Come relect upon
Sometimes judgments or punishments, like Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, where he stood in the
logging, were carried out right in this building, synagogue and read from Isaiah 61 and then
with the community as witnesses. told the crowd, “Today this scripture is fulilled
in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
On Sabbaths the synagogue became a place of
instruction, when Torah was read and sermons
were given. In the irst century Sabbath service, Taken from material provided by Dr. Stephen Pfann,
the person doing the Scripture readings stood University of the Holy Land and The Nazareth Jesus
Knew by Joel Kaufman.
50
his inaugural address at the synagogue in Nazareth.
Photos: Reynold Mainse
The synagogue was designed to accommodate up; however, the person delivering the sermon
a crowd. It had a high ceiling supported by stayed seated! Men and women, young and
rows of columns and numerous windows old, all attended the Sabbath synagogue
for light and fresh air. When the synagogue services as the Talmud and New Testament
functioned as a town hall, there was plenty of indicate.
room for the residents of the city or town to
assemble for meetings or celebrations. They As is the case today, even in the irst century
could hold debates and vote on important synagogues were not exactly alike. They
measures that afected the entire community. normally had tiers of seats, much like a football
stadium, or the seats here in the Nazareth
Every synagogue had a small room to one side Village synagogue. This arrangement allowed
of the larger room, which was used as a library those present to see one another “eye to
or archive. Inside, valuable scrolls of the Law eye” and gave everyone a view of who was
(Torah) and Prophets could be stored. The Jesus preaching in the synagogue. speaking—everyone that is, except for those
synagogue building may have also been the who were unfortunate enough to be stuck
place where contracts were witnessed, and a behind a column! Just like sports stadiums
locked archive of legal documents was kept. People gather outside the today, the lower seats were considered the
synagogue at Nazareth Village. best in the house. In fact, they were reserved
When a trial was held, the synagogue became for the elders, high-ranking scholars and
a courtroom. In the New Testament, Jesus honored guests.
mentions the “seat of Moses” (Matthew
23:1), the judges seat during a trial from Nazareth Village invites visitors to stand, or
which the rabbi could hand down a sentence. sit, in the synagogue. Come relect upon
Sometimes judgments or punishments, like Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, where he stood in the
logging, were carried out right in this building, synagogue and read from Isaiah 61 and then
with the community as witnesses. told the crowd, “Today this scripture is fulilled
in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
On Sabbaths the synagogue became a place of
instruction, when Torah was read and sermons
were given. In the irst century Sabbath service, Taken from material provided by Dr. Stephen Pfann,
the person doing the Scripture readings stood University of the Holy Land and The Nazareth Jesus
Knew by Joel Kaufman.
50
