Study and Instruction in the Synagogue

Teaching and instruction were important components of the Sabbath liturgy, following readings from scripture. Many sources also associate the synagogue with schooling, in some cases referring explicitly to the use of the premises for educating children. Some of the excavated synagogue buildings have adjoining benched rooms, which may have been used for this purpose. 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.