and at the close of even for meditation and prayer. They were built not only in Palestine, but sometimes in foreign countries. Paul found one near Philippi where Lydia was converted.

The Tabernacles were another class of buildings commenced before, but greatly multiplied after the Captivity. With regard to the Synagogues, villages were distinguished by two names-the Koomai and the Koomopolis. The latter had synagogues, and the former none. It required

ten families at the least number to constitute a synagogue. When less than ten resided, they had no synagogue; and when more, they had synagogues according to the number of inhabitants.

Olympas. Do you recollect how many were in Jerusalem and some other large places at or near the time of the Messiah?

Thomas. The city of Tiberias had twelve, and Jerusalem four hundred and sixty-five. They were located over the whole country, and were essential to every Jewish settlement abroad as well as in their own country.

Olympas. State their architectural peculiarities. Thomas. They were very uniform, although of varying dimensions. They always consisted of two parts. The western end was used as a sort of sacred temple, called the Icel. There was kept the Book of the Law in a small chest. Its title The body of the

was THE HOUSE OF THE BOOK.

building, or east part of it, was seated for the congregation, separated in the midst down to the pulpit (for they had each a pulpit of wood) by a wire lattice from five to six feet high. On one side sat the men, on the other the women. Olympas. Repeat the names of the officers, and

give us a brief view of the services.

Thomas. Rash Eceneseth was the Hebrew name of the ruler of the synagogue, usually called in Greek Archisunagoogos. Of this class there were three in every synagogue. They were, because of their frequent adjudications of small civil offences, called THE COUNCIL OF THREE. They prevented all disorders in the congregation. They commanded the public readers how much to read every Sabbath, and the people when to say Amen. They had considerable power in the settlement of all questions of moral wrong. They were to decide on the admission of proselytes, and on the ordination of all public functionaries.

The second officer Shelih Hetsebur, or minister of the congregation, frequently called The Angel of the Assembly, laboured among them in word and teaching. He prayed and preached. He sometimes appointed the readers, and stood beside them to see that they read right. Hence he got the name of the Episcopos, or Overseer.

The Deacon, or Almoner of the Poor, was the next officer. Of these there were generally three. To prevent the suspicion of embezzlement, they generally officiated in concert, at least two of them always had charge of the collections and of the synagogue lekupe, or chest that stood in the house.

To these there were sometimes added interpreters of the readings into the languages of those who were in attendance. Besides these they sometimes had Doctors of Divinity Schools, who instructed even the interpreters; and these also had their own interpreters. But the three Rulers, the Angel of the Church, or chief Bishop, and the three Almoners constituted the regular officers. To which, if we allow all classes to be in attend

ance, the office-bearers were in all ten-the Bishop, the three Rulers, the three Deacons, the Doctor of the Divinity School, his Interpreter, and the Interpreter of the readings of the Law.

They attended many hours during the day, commencing about sun-rise and continuing till nine or ten. They always returned at half-past four, and sat till sunset. They were not only exempted from all civil liabilities, but had salaries assigned them, according to some Rabbies; but according to others, their services were devotional and without charge. But as the glory departed the synagogue officers were diminished in number; and finally, in the fourteenth century they became few and inconsiderable in rank and standing.

Olympas. Tell us now of their worship.

Thomas. The officers, ten in number, sat with their backs to the West, and the congregation having their backs to the East, had their faces towards the Elders. Between them stood the pulpit, in which the services of the day were performed.

In the morning the Angel of the Church ascended the pulpit, while the people rose from their seats and stood in the most devotional attention. He offered up their public prayers, same of which were written down. We have in Buxtorf many of these prayers still preserved. The eighteen said to have been composed by Ezra, and the great Synagogue, which were read in our Saviour's time, are still extant; but I cannot read them now. At the end of these prayers the whole congregation said Amen.

After the prayers of the morning came the repetition of their phylacteries, as a guard from

evil thoughts and evil spirits. These scraps wereTM extracts from the Law, especially these three: Exodus xiii. 3-16; Deut. vi. 5-9; Deut. xi. 13 -21. Then came the reading of the Law and Prophets, which they had divided into fifty-four sections. Because in their intercalated years, by a month being added, there were fifty-four Sabbaths. In other years of fifty-two, they read two of these sections in one day, and thus the whole Law and the Prophets were read through once every year.

In the Sabbath readings seven persons were selected, and the work divided among them. Of these the first was a Priest, the second a Levite, and five were Israelites. In the absence of the first two, seven Israelites performed all the reading. The first reader presented a short prayer just as he commenced "blessing God that he had chosen them to be his people and given them his law." The readers stood while they read, the minister standing by their side to oversee their reading that it was all right. The interpreter stood next to the reader, and after the Captivity the Syriac language was the mother tongue, the interpretation of many words became necessary to make them 'perceive the sense and understand the reading." Hence arose the office of an interpreter in every synagogue. The usual manner was to read a sentence at a time. The reader gives the sentence in the original Hebrew, and the interpreter pronounced it in the living tongue.

66

These readings were mingled with expositions. of the law and exhortations. These teachings and exhortations were not done in a standing, but in a sitting posture. The minister of the congre

gation, interpreter, reader, or some distinguished person who happened to be present in the synagogue, usually employed a portion of the day in such exercises. These things being fully attended to, the meeting was closed with a short prayer rather in the form of a benediction.

Little is said of their psalm singing, though it occupied much of their worship in the Temple and on the great anniversaries. But we do not find any laws or arrangements for its systematic observance in their stated meetings in the synagogues.

Olympas. How often did they meet for worship and edification in their synagogues?

Thomas. They had three synagogue meetings every week-one on the second, one on the fifth, and one on the seventh day. These meetings were distinct from, and independent of, their holidays, their grand feasts, and fasts. They met three times on each of these days-once for reading the law and prayer, and twice for prayer. They read the same section of the Law and Prophets on the second and fifth days which they read on the seventh. Thus the whole Bible was twice read through in the synagogues every year -once on Sabbath days in the audience of all, and once during the week, half on Tuesday and half on Thursday mornings, to all the pious who attended.

Olympas. How often did the pious Jews pray every day?

Thomas. They prayed at the third hour, or nine o'clock; at the sixth hour, or twelve o'clock; and at the ninth hour, or three in the afternoon; and some prayed a fourth time, about the twilight of