Besides the Temple, which was the only Place where it was lawful to sacrifice, and where the Jews of all Nations were obliged to meet at the great Solemnities of the Passover and Pentecost, as we see by the Book of the Acts, they had other Places appointed for their assembling together, and receiving Instruction, on certain Days of the Week, as they still do at present, called Synagogues: These have remained in use among them ever since the Destruction of the Temple. These therefore will be the Subject of this Article.
What Campegius Vitringa has published concerning the ancient Synagogue, is divided into three Books, wherein he treats of the Names, Building, Origin, Presidents, Ministers, and of every thing sacred in the Synagogues: He pretends to shew in particular that our Churches borrowed their Form from these Synagogues. It is printed at Franekar, 1696, in 4to. This is only the second Edition of another Work, which had been before printed by his Direction at the same Place, 1685, in 4to. under this Title, Archi. Synagogus Observationibus novis, illustratus. He has moreover published a Book relating to the ten Persons who had the care of the ancient Synagogue committed to them; as a Defence of Lightfoot against Rhenferd, in the same Place, 1687, in 4to. We shall have occasion to speak often of this Protestant Author. See his Title in the Index.
Joan. Held de Synagogis Judæorum. Nuremberg, 1664, in 4to. He treats here likewise of the Schools of the Jews. He was a German Lutheran, and is known only by this Work.
David. Clodius, de Synagogis Judæorum. This Work is rather by G. Grambs, who had it published under the Name and Countenance of this Clodius, at Giessen, in 1682, says Fabricius, in his Bibliographia, p. 616. F. le Long says at Wittemberg, without declaring the Year, or Form of the Edition. We shall speak again of Clodius, upon the Prophets. As for Grambs, we have no Knowledge of him from any other Particular.
Christiani Bornitii Dissertationes de Synagogis Judæorum. Wittemberg, 1650, and 1652, in 4to. In the first he replies to David Silligius; in the second, he confutes Christian Gunther; and in the third Isaac Mutter. He was a German Lutheran, and different from James Bornitius.
Jac. Rhenferd, de decem Otiosis Synagogæ, printed in 1686, at Franekar, in 4to. He has farther treated of the Presidents and Ministers of the Synagogue, under the Title of Investigatio, printed at Franekar, 1700, which F. le Long was not acquainted with, for he takes no notice of it. He was a Flemish Calvinist, understood the Oriental Languages, was Professor at Franekar, and died in 1713.
Formula-Græca renuntiandi Judaismo. Coteler. Not. ad P. P. Apostolicos, Part 2. p. 352.
See likewise the Jewish Ceremonies compared with the Discipline of the Church, by Richard Simon, under the concealed Name of Simonville. Basnage’s Continuation of the History of the Jews, l. 7. c. 6. l. 9. c. 31. of the Paris Edition in 1718, in 12mo. Benedict Pietit’s Dissertation on Temples and their Dedication, at Geneva, 1716, in 8vo.