The synagogue gave Jewish communities a place to gather apart from the Temple in Jerusalem. First-century synagogues existed in the land of Israel and in Jewish communities elsewhere.
The synagogue did not replace the Temple. The two institutions served different purposes, and the Jerusalem Temple remained the unique center of sacrifice.
Synagogues developed before the first century, although their precise origins remain debated. Archaeological and literary evidence demonstrates their presence during the Second Temple period.
On the Sabbath and other occasions, people could gather to hear Scripture and teaching and to participate in communal activities. Synagogues also helped reinforce local Jewish identity.
Second Temple-period synagogue buildings have been identified at several sites. Their layouts demonstrate communal assembly, although later synagogue architecture should not be projected backward onto every first-century building.
Josephus, inscriptions, the New Testament, and other ancient sources refer to synagogues and communal gatherings.
The synagogue itself is a post-biblical institution, but its activities centered heavily upon Israel's Scriptures and the continuing life of the covenant community.
The Gospels repeatedly describe Jesus teaching in synagogues throughout Galilee. The synagogue at Nazareth provides one of the clearest Gospel scenes of Scripture reading and interpretation.
Synagogues existed before AD 70 and served as important Jewish communal institutions in the first century.
The exact combination of prayer, administration, education, and worship probably varied between communities, and later synagogue customs were not necessarily already standardized.
The synagogue was one of the principal public settings of Jesus' Galilean ministry and helps explain how local communities encountered Scripture and teaching.