buildings where Jewish people gather for worship, prayer, study, and community activities.
From Greek 'synagogē,' meaning 'assembly' or 'gathering place,' from 'syn-' (together) + 'agogē' (a bringing together). The term emphasizes community gathering rather than just worship.
Unlike churches that developed around altars and priestly hierarchies, synagogues developed from community study groups during Jewish exile in Babylon, making them more democratic spaces where ordinary people could participate in religious life.
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