Word journey
The word synagogue
assembly; a Jewish house of prayer
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| synagōgḗ | Ancient Greek · Ancient Greek Religion | 400 BCE | a bringing together, assembly (syn "together" + agein "lead") |
| synagōgḗ | Koine Greek · Judaism | 50 CE | Jewish house of assembly (Theodotos inscription) |
| synagōga | Late Latin · Christianity | 400 CE | synagogue |
| synagoge | Middle English · Judaism | 1150 CE | synagogue (via Old French) |
What is certain and what is not
Greek "a bringing together" translates the Hebrew idea of assembly (beit knesset). How and when the synagogue arose is debated: the Babylonian exile, Ezra's reforms, or gradually between the 5th and 1st centuries BCE.