Preaching, Teaching, and Study in the Early Synagogue

Preaching and Teaching

The synagogue had become a site of preaching and teaching no later than the first century CE. Teaching and instruction were important components of the Sabbath liturgy, following readings from scripture. Jesus taught in synagogues, as did Paul in order to bring Jews over to believe in Jesus as the Messiah (see also Jesus’ Teaching and Paul the Jew). Later rabbinic texts also testify to the synagogue as a place where rabbis taught community members and students. Many sources also associate the synagogue with schooling, in some cases referring explicitly to the use of the premises for educating children.

Synagogue and Study Hall

While synagogues and study halls are often mentioned together in rabbinic literature, the underlying implication is that these were two separate entities. In the archaeological record, some synagogues have adjoining benched rooms, which scholars speculate may have been classrooms or study halls. However, many do not have them, and while classes may have been held in the assembly hall, it is equally possible that those synagogue buildings were not used as schools.