The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

they may not have had conveniences for, their
prescribed purifioa,tion8. But in every place, as
we have abundant evidence, where there were at
least ten Bailanim —male householders who had
leisure to give •AetoxT.91 themselves to regular
attendance—they had, fix)m ancient times,* one,
and, if possible, more Synagogues.* Where there
wae no Syn-agogue there was at least a
Prosernlie^ ^ or meeting-place, under the open sky,
after the form of a theatre, generally outside the
town, near a river or the sea, for the sake of
lustrations. These, as we know from classical
writers, were well known to the heathen, and even
frequented by them. Their Sabbath observance,
their fasting on Thursdays, their Day of Atonement,
their laws relating to food, and their pilgrimages to
Jerusalem—all found sympathisers among Judaising
Gentiles." They even watched to see, how the
Sabbatii lamp was kindled, and the solemn prayers
spoken which marked the beginning of the
Sabbath.^ But to the Jew the Synagogue was the
^AotsxrL