This is a New Testament Greek word for the Jewish places of meeting and worship. As with 'ecclesia' (q.v.), the word originally meant the people who gathered together, and only later did it become the name of the building in which they met.

Synagogues first came into use when Israel was in captivity in Babylon and the people could no longer worship and offer sacrifices in the Temple at Jerusalem. There was no priestly ritual, and this was replaced by respect for the Law of Moses (Torah). All responsible and devout men could read the Law and the Prophets publicly, and take part in the discussions that followed. The teachers of the Law and Rabbis debated endlessly in the synagogue the exact meaning of the Law and its application to every aspect of life. When Jesus went to the synagogue (in Luke 4:16), he was offered the book of the prophet Isaiah to read.

Paul on his missionary journeys spoke first to the Jews in the synagogue of every town that he visited (for example, Antioch-in Acts 13:14-15; Iconium-in Acts 14:1; and Salamis-in Acts 13:5).

In his messages to the churches of Asia (in Revelation 2:9-3:9), Jesus warns those in Smyrna and Philadelphia about the Jews who were claiming to be Jews and were not; that is, who were not behaving as true Jews should behave. They were, he said, of the 'synagogue of Satan', meaning that they were Jews by birth, but by their opposition to the gospel of Christ they were displaying the very worst side of human nature and were, in that respect, no better than Gentiles.

To be expelled from the synagogue (see John 9:22; 12:42; 16:2) made a man a total outcast in Jewish circles, the equivalent of 'excommunication' in some Christian churches.

(See also ECCLESIA).