In sum, the Roman Diaspora “synagogue” is not simply a Jewish civic building
(let alone a Jewish cultic building only); the synagogue is the umbrella institution
par excellenceof the Jewish community. The “synagogue of the Jews” is almost a
synonym for the “community of the Jews” (Barclay 1996: 236; Lüderitz 1983: 72;
Rajak and Noy 2002). There is no comparable institution in the Roman urban
landscape, other than “the city” itself (Rajak 1999; Fitzpatrick-McKinley 2002).
It is true that in many respects the synagogue looks like a typical Greco-Roman
voluntary association (P. Richardson 1996; Harland 2003). And I do not dispute
that often Jews, their non-Jewish neighbors, and even Roman authorities may have
perceived them that way. But it seems equally clear that the structures and functions
“umbrella-ed” under the aegis of the synagogue make it resemble, I repeat, “the
city” itself. (And this may be true of other associations in the urban landscape.) This
“semblance” provides in socio-anthropological terms a basis for the Jewish community’s
claims to be fully part of the urban landscape and to participate in the city’s public
life (Harland 2003). Moreover, it provides the basis for non-Jewish civic authorities
and patrons to recognize the place of the synagogue, and its associated services,
functions, and functionaries, in the larger urban community and to participate in
synagogue life by benefaction and the resulting receipt of honors, as, for example,
in the cases of one Claudia Severa in Asia (Rajak 1999; Rajak and Noy 2002; also
Fitzpatrick-McKinley 2002) or one Marcus Titius son of Sextus in Cyrenaica (Lüderitz
1983: 71, discussed by Barclay 1996: 236).
Constituent roles and institutions within the
synagogue/community
Literary and inscriptional evidence concerning the “government” and “administration”
of the synagogue communities provides a remarkably consistent array of functions
and titles across the Roman Diaspora (see Rutgers 1998: 24 –7). Following is a list
of the some of these titles from a sampling of the sources:
- patriarchs, not to be confused with the Patriarch of the Land of Israel (e.g. Linder
1987: no. 9); - elders (presbyter, e.g. Linder 1987: no. 9; Noy 1993–5: 1. no. 157; Rutgers 1998:
144; Epiphanius, Panarion30.11.1– 4; Levine 1999: 90); - priests (hiereis, e.g. Lüderitz 1983: 72; Acts 19. 13–20; Epiphanius, Panarion
30.11.1– 4; Levine 1999: 90); - “heads” of the law or judges (see e.g. John Chrysostom’s two sermons Against
the Jews; Linder 1987: no 28); - fathers of the synagogue (e.g. Linder 1987: no. 9);
- mothers of the synagogue (e.g. Noy 1993–5: 1. no. 5);
- rulers of the governing council (gerousiarch, e.g. Noy 1993–5: 1. nos. 18, 23,
76, 163; 2. nos. 86, 130, 189, 354, 554); - scribes (grammateus, e.g. Noy 1993–5: 2. nos. 85, 114, 188, 266, 547);
- rulers (archontes, e.g. Lüderitz 1983: 70, 71, 72) [of the Jewish community or
corporation (politeuma)];
Roman Diaspora Judaism 373