Publisher's Synopsis
The origins of the synagogue remain shrouded in mystery, and little is known about its development in its early centuries. This book brings together over 20 essays by Israeli, British and American scholars to explore the development of the ancient synagogue. Combining original articles with earlier studies, including nine articles translated from Hebrew, this collection presents a critical picture of the early synagogue and the scholarly discussions concerning it. The book focuses on two central questions: what were the origins of the earliest synagogues, and where did they achieve the greatest growth in the early centuries?, and what role did the early synagogue play within the Jewish community?
