[208] Sigonius de rep. Hebr. l. 2. cap. 8.
[209] Philo in legat. ad Caium.
Out of Jerusalem, in other Cities and Provinces, were many Synagogues: there were Synagogues in Galilee, Mat. 4. 23. Synagogues in Damascus, Acts 9. 2. Synagogues at Salamis, Act. 13. 5. Synagogues at Antiochia, Acts 13. 14. Yea, their tradition is that[211] Wheresoever ten men of Israel were, there ought to be built a Synagogue.
[210] Vide Tremel. Acts 6. 9.
[211] Maimon. in Tephilla. c. 11. Sect. 1.
Their Synagogues had[212] many Inscriptions; over the gate was written that of the Psal. 118. 20. This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter into it. In the walls, these and the like sentences; Remember thy Creator, & enter into the house of the Lord thy God in humility. And prayer without attention is like a body is like a body without a soul. And silence is commendable in time of prayer.
[212] Buxtorf. de abbreviatur. pag. 23. 81. 174.
As the Courts of the people before the Temple were distinguished by a wall into two rooms, the one for men, the other for women: so in the Synagogues, the women were separated from the men,[213] by a partition of Lattice, or wire-work.
[213] Talmud in tract. Suta cap. ult. vi. Buxtorf. Synag. c. 9. p. 240.
In the Synagogues the Scribes ordinarily taught, but not only they, for Christ himself taught in them, &c. He that gave liberty to preach there, was termed ἀρχισυναγώγος. The Ruler of the Synagogue. There was also a Minister who gave the book unto the Preacher, and received it again, after the Text had been read. Christ closed the book, and gave it again unto the Minister, Luke 4. 20. This is probably he, whom they called שליח צבור Sheliach Tsibbur, the Minister or Clerk of the Synagogue.