As part of the fittings, we have also to note (1) an- other chest for the Ilaphfai-oth, or rolls of the prophets; (2) Alms-boxes at or near the door, after the jiattern of those at the Temple, one for the poor of Jerusalem, the other for local charities; (3) Notice-boards, on which were written the names of offenders who had been " put out of the synagogue ;" (4) A chest for trumpets and other musical instruments, used at the New-Years, Sab-
er when the methurgeman {••2^'^r^= interpreter) was baths, and other festivals (Yitringa, Leyrer, he. rit.). reciting in the vernacular of the country the portion] The congregation was divided, men on one side, worn-
SYNAGOGUE
V5
SYNAGOGUE
en on the other, a low partition, five or six feet high, running between them (I'hilo, Z'e Vil.CoHtem])l.u,i7G). The arrangements of modern synagogues, for many cen- turies, have made the separation more complete by l^lacing the women in low side-galleries, screened off by lattice-work (Leo of Modena, in Ficart, Cei-em. Relig.V). 4. Besides meetings for worship, the synagogues, or, more properly, the rooms connected with them, were also used as courts of justice for the local Sanhedrim (Tarr/um JoikiI/kih on Amos v, 12,15; Jerusalem iSini- ht'drin, i, 1 ; Jerusalem Baha Mefsia, ii, 8 ; Babylon A>- thuboth, 5 a ; Sabba/li, 150 a), and in it the beadle of the synagogue administered the fortj' stripes save one to those who were sentenced to be beaten (jMishna, MaJckot/i, iii, 1 2 ; comp. Matt, x, 1 7 ; xxiii, 3-1). Travel- lers, too, found an asylum in the synagogue ; meals were eaten in it {Fesachim, 101; Bereshith Babba, c. xlv), and children were instructed therein (KidditsMii, 30 a ; Baba Bathra, 21 a; Taanith, 2-4 b; Berulot/i, 17 a; Yibamoth, 65 b). This, however, did not detract from its sanctity ; for the s^'nagogue once used for the divine worship was only allowed to be sold on certain conili- tions (Mishna, Mer/illah, iii, i, 2). When the building was finished, it was set apart, as the Temple had been, by a special prayer of dedication. From that time it had a consecrated character. The common acts of life, such as reckoning up accounts, were forbidden in it. No one was to pass through it as a short cut. Even if it ceased to be used, the building was not to be applied to any base purpose — might not be turned, e. g., into a bath, a laundry, or a taimery. A scraper stood outside the door that men might rid themselves, before they entered, of anything that would be defiling (Leyrer, loc. cif., and Vitringa).
IV. The Officers and Government of fJie Synagogue. — The synagogues of the respective towns were governed by the elders (D3pT, TrptajivTtpoi, Luke vii, 3), who constituted the local Sanhedrim, consisting either of the twenty-three senators or the three senators assisted by four principal members of the congregation (Megilkih, 27 ; Josephus, A nt. iv, 8, 14 ; Wa?; ii, 20, 5 ; Acts vii, 5 ; xxi, 8), as this depended upon the size and population of the place. See Sanhedrim. Hence these author- ized administrators of the law were alternately denomi- nated s/iepl/erds (D"^p2"iQ ^Troi/ifj'ffi Jerusalem Peak, viii ; Babylon Chagiguh, CO ; Sabbath, 17 a ; Acts xx, 28 ; Eph. iv. 11), the rulers of the synagogue, and the chief's (nD32il "^'iIJXI^ffp^KTui'ayaiyoi, dpxovTic, JNLatt. ix, 18, 23'; Mark v, 22; Luke viii, 41; Acts xiii, 15) and ore?-see;-s (D'i31i2T3 =:7rpoEffrwr£Ci Mishna, Tamid, v, 1).
The president of the Sanhedrim was ex officio the head or chief of the synagogue, and was therefore, kot i^o\i]v, the ruler of the synagogue (Mishna, Yoma,\\\, 1 ; Sotah, vii, 7), while the other members of this body, ac- cording to their various gifts, discharged the different functions in the synagogue (1 Tim. v, 17), as will be seen from the following classification. See High-puikst.
1. The Ruler of the Synagogue (ptii'Si^ CX"i=np;;^«- (Tyj'ayoiyof,") and his two Associates. — Though the su- preme official, like the two other members of the local court, had to be didy examined by delegates from the Great Sanhedrim, who certified that he possessed all the necessary qualifications for his office (Maimonides, lad Ha-Chezaka IJilchoth Sanhedrin, ii, 8), yet his elec- tion entirely depended upon the suffrages of the mem- bers of the synagogue. The Talmud distinctly declares that "no ruler (G2"13 -7ro(/(?;r) is appointed over a congregation unless the congregation is consulted" (^Berakoth, bb a). But, once elected, the ruler was the third in order of precedence in the Temple synagogue — i. e. first came the high-priest, then the chief of the priests ("50), and then the ruler of the synagogue (IMishna, FowY/, vii, 1 ; »So/a^, vii, 7), while in the pro- .vincial synagogues the respective rulers were supreme,
and had the principal voice in the decision and dis- tribution of the other offices. His two judicial col- leagues aided him in the administration of the law. See Archi-synagogues.
2. The Three A Imoners (Hi^i:? "^NSa = haKovoi ; Phil, i, 1 ; 1 Tim. iii, 8, 12 ; iv, 6). — The office of almoner was both very responsible and difficult, as the poor-taxes were of a double nature ; and in periodically collecting and distributing the alms the almoner had to exercise great discretion from whom to demand them and to whom to give them. There were, first, the alms of the dish C^W^Pl), consisting of articles of food which had to be collected by the officials daily, and distributed every evening, and to which every one had to contrib- ute who resided thirty days in one place; and there were, secondly, the alms of the box (tlS^ip), consisting of money which was collected every Friday, was dis- tributed weekly, and to which every one had to con- tribute who resided ninety days in one place. Two au- thorized persons had to collect the former and three the latter. They were obliged to keep together, and were not allowed to put into their pockets any money thus received, but were to throw it into the poor-box. The almoners had the power of exempting from these poor- rates such people as they believed to be unable to pay, and to enforce the tax on such as pretended not to be in a position to contribute. They had also the power to refuse alms to any whom they deemed unworthy of them. All the three almoners had to be present at the distribution of the alms. The greatest care was taken by the rulers of the synagogue and the congregation that those elected to this office should be "men of hon- esty, wisdom, justice, and have the confidence of the people" {Baba Bathra, 8 ; A boda Sa7-a, 18 ; Taanith, 24 ; iVIaimonides, Tad Ila-Chezaka Hilchoth Mathenath An- yini, ix). Brothers were ineligible to this office; the almoners (tipnii "^X^S "pDD~S) were not allowed to be near relations, and had to be elected by the unani- mous voice of the people (Jerusalem Peah, viii).