1 Introduction
1.1 The Synagogue in Ancient Writings and Modern Studies
1.2 The Current State of Research
1.3 Topics in Synagogue Research
1.4 Tools for Synagogue Studies
1.5 The Organization and Aim of the Present Collection of Synagogue
Sources
2 The Land of Israel
2.1 Identified Locations
2.1.1 Caesarea
2.1.2 Cana
2.1.3 Capernaum
2.1.4 Chorazin
2.1.5 Gamla
2.1.6 Herodion
2.1.7 Horvat ‘Etri
2.1.8 Idumea
2.1.9 Jericho
2.1.10 Jerusalem
2.1.11 Magdala
2.1.12 Masada
2.1.13 Modi‘in
2.1.14 Nabratein (Nevoraya)
2.1.15 Nazareth
2.1.16 Qatzion
2.1.17 Qiryat Sefer
2.1.18 Qumran
2.1.19 Shuafat
2.1.20 Tiberias
2.2 General References and Unidentified Locations
2.2.1 Galilee
2.2.2 Judaea
2.2.3 General
3 The Diaspora
3.1 Identified Locations
3.1.1 Achaia
3.1.1.1 Aegina
3.1.1.2 Athens
3.1.1.3 Corinth
3.1.1.4 Delos
3.1.2 Asia
3.1.2.1 Acmonia
3.1.2.2 Ephesus
3.1.2.3 Halicarnassus
3.1.2.4 Miletus
3.1.2.5 Parium
3.1.2.6 Philadelphia
3.1.2.7 Priene
3.1.2.8 Sardis
3.1.2.9 Smyrna
3.1.2.10 Synnada
3.1.2.11 Thyatira
3.1.2.12 General
3.1.3 The Bosporan Kingdom
3.1.3.1 Gorgippia
3.1.3.2 Olbia
3.1.3.3 Panticapaeum
3.1.3.4 Phanagoria
3.1.4 Cyprus
3.1.4.1 Salamis
3.1.5 Cyrenaica
3.1.5.1 Berenice
3.1.5.2 Cyrene
3.1.6 Egypt
3.1.6.1 Alexandria
3.1.6.2 Alexandrou-Nesos
3.1.6.3 Arsinoë-Crocodilopolis
3.1.6.4 Athribis
3.1.6.5 Leontopolis
3.1.6.6 Naucratis
3.1.6.7 Nitriai
3.1.6.8 Ptolemais
3.1.6.9 Schedia
3.1.6.10 Xenephyris
3.1.6.11 General References and Uncertain Locations
3.1.7 Galatia
3.1.7.1 Iconium
3.1.7.2 Pisidian Antioch
3.1.8 Hungary
3.1.8.1 Osijek (Mursa)
3.1.9 Italy
3.1.9.1 Ostia
3.1.9.2 Rome
3.1.10 Macedonia
3.1.10.1 Beroea
3.1.10.2 Philippi
3.1.10.3 Thessalonica
3.1.10.4 Stobi
3.1.11 Mesopotamia
3.1.11.1 Dura Europos
3.1.12 Syria
3.1.12.1 Antioch
3.1.12.2 Damascus
3.1.12.3 Dora (Dor)
3.2 General References and Unidentified Locations
3.2.1 Literary Sources
4 General References
4.1 Literary Sources
4.1.1 2 Corinthians
4.1.2 Philo
4.1.3 Acts
4.1.4 Artemidorus
4.1.5 Cleomedes
4.1.6 Tacitus
4.1.7 Justin Martyr
5 Jewish Temples Outside Jerusalem
5.1 Babylonia
5.1.1 Casiphia
5.2 Egypt
5.2.1 Elephantine
5.2.2 Leontopolis
5.2.3 General references and Unspecified Locations
5.3 Idumea
5.3.1 Lachish
5.3.2 Beersheva
5.4 Syria
5.4.1 Antioch
5.5 Transjordan
5.5.1 ‘Araq el-Emir
5.5.2 Unspecified Locations
6 Bibliography
7 Indices
7.1 Sources
7.1.1 Hebrew Bible
7.1.2 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
7.1.3 Qumran
7.1.4 New Testament
7.1.5 Philo
7.1.6 Josephus
7.1.7 Rabbinic Literature
7.1.8 Inscriptions
7.1.9 Papyri
7.1.10 Early Christian Authors
7.1.11 Graeco-Roman and Egyptian Authors
7.2 Subjects and Names
7.3 Synagogue Terms
Anders Runesson, Ph.D. (2001) and Docent (2002) in New Testament
Exegesis, Lund University, is Assistant Professor in Early
Christianity and Early Judaism at McMaster University. In addition
to having authored several studies on ancient synagogues, including
The Origins of the Synagogue (A&W International, 2001), he has
published studies on Jewish/Christian Relations and the Gospel of
Matthew.
Donald D. Binder, Ph.D. (1997) in New Testament studies, SMU, is
Rector of Historic Pohick Church near Mt. Vernon, Virginia. He has
written extensively on Synagogues of the Second Temple period,
including the volume Into the Temple Courts: The Place of the
Synagogues in the Second Temple Period (SBL, 1999).
Birger Olsson, D.Th., Docent (1974) in New Testament Exegesis,
Uppsala University, and Professor in New Testament Exegesis, Lund
University (1992), is Professor Emeritus since 2003. He worked for
many years on the official committee for the translation of the
Bible into Swedish (Bibel 2000), and has published widely on
Johannine literature, hermeneutics, and reception history.
'Everyone interested in the ancient synagogue may benefit from all
the literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence.' - James H.
Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary, in: Journal for the
Study of the Historical Jesus 14 (2016)
'This comprehensive compendium of literary, archaeological,
epigraphical, and papyrological sources about the ancient
synagogue, accompanied by insightful comments and up-to-date
bibliography, is an essential tool for any student of Jewish and
Christian life during the first centuries CE. Covering the Diaspora
as well as Judaea, the volume is an invaluable reference book for
gaining an in-depth picture of this multifaceted institution, which
had a profound and lasting effect on the development of many
aspects of both church and mosque as well.' - Lee Levine, Professor
of Jewish History & Archaeology, The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem
"All students of early Judaism and early Christianity will find
this volume an essential companion in their efforts to understand
the origins and development of both religions. It is unique in that
it brings together all the available evidence, both literary and
archaeological from the Diaspora and the homeland, dealing with the
synagogue as an institution and a building. The authors, experts in
the field, introduce a vast amount of information in a
user-friendly manner. Each entry, arranged in alphabetical order,
has a site description, the relevant literary and inscriptional
sources, provided with brief but pointed commentary, introducing th
wider discussion about the various sites. A brief introductory
chapter helps the reader to enter this relatively new and rapidly
developing field of enquiry, as well as outlining the reasons in
deciding the parameters of the volume. I can recommend it with
enthusiasm." - Sean Freyne, Professor of Theology emeritus, Trinity
College, Dublin Visiting Professor of Early Christian History and
Literature, Harvard Divinity School
'One of the frustrating aspects of studying ancient Judaism before
the third century ce is the difficulty of assessing the scant
evidence for synagogues. The evidence had been dispersed in
archaeological reports, ancient literature, and inscriptions,
despite the growing availability of evidence through the internet,
namely on the website created by one of the authors of the current
volume (Binder: http://www.pohick.org/sts/). With the advent of the
source book under review, the evidence is now readily available in
convenient book form. This is a monumental achievement and should
change the face of synagogue studies at all levels of expertise.' -
Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll, in: Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2009
“A key methodological problem in constructing a picture of the
development of ancient synagogues arises from the limited and
perspectival nature of each of our data-sets: rabbinic rulings,
other literary references, inscriptions, and archaeological
remains. The Ancient Synagogue is a key resource in overcoming this
problem: for the first time we have a comprehensive collection of
literary, epigraphical, papyrological, and archaeological sources
bearing on ancient synagogues. Each lemma comes with a brief but
up-to-date bibliography and short commentary and the editors have
supplied both primary texts and English translations, making this
an indispensable resource for all who work on ancient synagogues.
This is a splendid achievement of scholarship.” - J.S. Kloppenborg,
Professor, Trinity College, Toronto
“This source book comes at a propitious time in the study of
ancient synagogues and their origins. It is an invaluable resource
for everyone interested in—and not infrequently puzzled by—the
organizational and architectural development of synagogues prior to
200 CE. The combination of textual and archaeological material,
with judicious commentaries and some well chosen drawings, are
essential features of the book’s usefulness. It will be much
referred to in the coming years, and its judgements will help shape
the contours of the ongoing debates.” - Peter Richardson, Professor
Emeritus, University of Toronto
“This volume contains ancient texts such as Josephus, the New
Testament, and the Mishnah in their original languages and in
(often new) translation, but also archaeological evidence and
inscriptions—in their language and translated. Each entry features
a bibliography and comment on matters that the text or archaeology
raises. There is an extensive bibliography and an index. It has
been put together by well-known scholars in the field, and their
work is exhaustive and impeccable. We could not reasonably ask for
more. It is simply an indispensable resource for the serious
researcher and the student alike.” - James F. Strange,
Distinguished University Professor, the University of South
Florida, Tampa, Florida
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