The life and work of St. Paul

206 THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST. PAUL*
facing the rest of the congregation,
those chief seats which Rabbis and
Pharisees were so eager to secure. The Killeh, or sacred direction towards
which all prayer was offered, was Jerusalem ; and on that side would be the
curtain, behind which was the ark containing the sacred rolls. 1
Paul, as a
former Sanhedrist, aud Barnabas, as a Levite, and both of them as men of
superior Jewish education, might fairly have claimed to sit in the chairs or
benches set apart for the elders. But perhaps they had been told what their
Lord had said on the subject, and took their seats among the ordinary wor-
shippers. 2
Each as he entered covered his head with his tallith, and the prayers
began. They were read by the Sheliach or " apostle of the congregation, 3 who
stood among the standing congregation. The language employed was probably
Greek. Hebrew had long been to the Jews a learned language, understood
only by the few, and in remote places, like Antioch of Pisidia, known
possibly to only one or two. In spite of the stiff conservatism of a few
Rabbis, the Jews as a nation had the good sense to see that it would be useless
to utter prayers unless they were " * understanded of the people." After the
prayers followed the First Lesson, or Parashah, and this, owing to the sanctity
which the Jews attached to the very sounds and letters of Scripture, was read
in Hebrew, but was translated or paraphrased verse by verso by the fifeturgeman,
or interpreter. The Chazzdn, or clerk of the synagogue, took the
Thorah-roU from the ark, and handed it to the reader. By the side of the
reader stood the interpreter, unless he performed that function for himself, aa
could be easily done, since the Septuagint version was now universally disseminated.
After the Parasliah, was read the short Haphtarah, or what we
should call the Second Lesson, from the Prophets, the translation into the
vernacular being given at the end of every three verses. After this followed
the Midrash, the exposition or sermon. It was not delivered by one set
minister, but, as at the present day any distinguished stranger who happens
to be present is asked by way of compliment to read the TJiorah, so in those
days the Bosh ha-Keneseth might ask any one to preach who seemed likely to
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do so with profit to the worshippers.
Accordingly on this occasion when the Haphtarah and Parashah were
ended, the Batlanim the " men of leisure " who managed the affairs of
the synagogue, and corresponded to our churchwardens sent the Chazzdn
to ask the strangers if they had any word of exhortation to the people.
Some rumour that they were preachers of a new and remarkable doctrine
must already have spread in the little Jewish community, and it was evidently
3 Matt, xxiii. 6, -pu>TOKo8eJpi