Reconstructing the First-Century Synagogue A Critical Analysis of Current Research

by Catto, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780567045614
• ISBN10: 0567045617
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-01-15
• Publisher: Bloomsbury T & T Clark

Summary

The form and function of the 'synagogue' in the first century CE has been the focus of a great deal of recent scholarly discussion. A previous generation of scholars would have perceived a reference to a synagogue in a New Testament text as a monolithic

Author Biography

Stephen K. Catto is Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Theological Studies, Moorlands College, Dorset, UK.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xiii
List of Tables	p. xv
Acknowledgements	p. xvi
Abbreviations	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Theme	p. 1
Methodology	p. 5
Terminology	p. 5
Sources	p. 7
Overview of Research	p. 10
Literary Evidence for the 'Synagogue'	p. 14
Introduction	p. 14
Vocabulary Potentially Associated with 'Synagogues'	p. 15
Philo	p. 17
Introduction	p. 17
Diaspora	p. 18
Egypt	p. 18
Alexandria	p. 18
Elsewhere in Egypt	p. 21
Conclusion on Egypt	p. 22
Asia Minor	p. 22
Rome	p. 23
Palestine	p. 23
References with no Geographical Connection	p. 24
Conclusion	p. 25
Josephus	p. 27
Introduction	p. 27
Diaspora	p. 28
Asia Minor	p. 28
Halicarnassus	p. 30
Sardis	p. 30
Syria	p. 31
Dora	p. 31
Antioch	p. 33
Palestine	p. 34
Caesarea	p. 34
Tiberias	p. 35
Conclusion	p. 36
Other Literary Sources	p. 38
Non-Jewish Authors	p. 38
Septuagint	p. 39
Rabbinic Authors	p. 42
New Testament	p. 44
Conclusion	p. 46
Conclusion	p. 47
Archaeological Evidence for the 'Synagogue'	p. 49
Introduction	p. 49
Diaspora	p. 49
Italy	p. 49
Rome	p. 49
Ostia	p. 52
The Mindius Faustus Inscription	p. 59
Conclusion	p. 60
Greece	p. 61
Delos	p. 61
Bosphorus	p. 67
Asia	p. 68
Acmonia	p. 68
Egypt	p. 70
Introduction	p. 70
Alexandria	p. 71
The Nile Delta Area	p. 72
Schedia	p. 72
Athribis	p. 72
Xenephyris	p. 74
The Fayum	p. 75
Arsinoe-Crocodilopolis	p. 75
Alexandrou-Nesos	p. 78
No Geographical Location	p. 79
Conclusion on Egypt	p. 79
Cyrenaica	p. 80
Berenice	p. 80
Summary of Diaspora Buildings	p. 82
Palestine	p. 82
Judea	p. 82
Jerusalem	p. 82
Jericho	p. 85
Qumran	p. 88
Masada	p. 89
Herodium	p. 92
Beyond Judea	p. 93
Gamla	p. 93
Qiryat Sefer	p. 96
Modi'in	p. 98
Capernaum	p. 99
Khirbet Qana	p. 102
Summary of Palestinian Synagogues	p. 103
Conclusion	p. 104
Worship Practices	p. 106
Introduction	p. 106
Sanctity	p. 108
Introduction	p. 108
The Sanctity of the Building	p. 108
Philo and Josephus	p. 108
Inscriptions and Papyri	p. 109
The Sanctity of the Person	p. 110
Palestine	p. 111
Diaspora	p. 113
Philo	p. 113
Conclusion	p. 115
Scripture Reading and Teaching	p. 116
Introduction	p. 116
Qumran	p. 117
Josephus and Philo	p. 118
Archaeological Evidence	p. 120
Targumim	p. 121
Conclusion on Reading	p. 123
Prayer	p. 125
Introduction	p. 125
Josephus	p. 126
Asia Minor	p. 126
Sardis	p. 126
Halicarnassus	p. 127
Palestine	p. 128
Tiberias	p. 128
Jerusalem	p. 129
Philo	p. 129
Alexandria	p. 129
Egypt outside Alexandria	p. 132
New Testament	p. 132
The Dead Sea Scrolls	p. 133
Conclusion on Qumran	p. 136
The Shema	p. 136
The Ma'amad	p. 139
Other Sources	p. 140
Conclusion on Prayer	p. 141
Sacred Meals	p. 143
Introduction	p. 143
Diaspora	p. 145
Case study of Ostia	p. 145
Elsewhere in the Diaspora	p. 147
Palestine	p. 147
Jericho	p. 147
Elsewhere in Palestine	p. 148
Conclusion	p. 149
Overall Conclusion	p. 149
The 'Synagogue' in Luke-Acts	p. 152
Introduction	p. 152
Terminology	p. 154
Is Luke Anachronistic?	p. 154
The Minimalists' Perspective	p. 154
The Debate	p. 156
Conclusion	p. 161
Geographical Locations	p. 164
Introduction	p. 164
Palestine	p. 165
Jerusalem	p. 165
Acts 6.9	p. 165
Acts 24.12 and 26.9-11	p. 168
Conclusion	p. 170
Galilee	p. 171
Introduction	p. 171
Capernaum	p. 172
Palestinian Worship Practices	p. 178
Introduction	p. 178
Luke-Acts	p. 178
Luke 4.16-30	p. 179
Diaspora	p. 186
Philippi	p. 186
[characters not reproducible] as a place of prayer	p. 186
[characters not reproducible] as a building	p. 187
Conclusion	p. 189
Pisidian Antioch	p. 190
Diaspora Worship Practices	p. 193
Conclusion	p. 194
Conclusion	p. 199
Bibliography	p. 202
Index	p. 223
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.