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Freestanding Columns: Antitype of Church and Christians
1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 3:12
Architectural Similarities between Ancient Synagogues and the Church
Christians borrowed from Jewish synagogues, not the other way around.
Standardized Architectural Synagogue Signature Typology
Synagogue Architecture adopted by the Christian Church
Floorplans and Furnishings of Pre-70 AD Second Temple Period synagogues
"I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the
household of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the
truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
"'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God."
(Revelation 3:12)
B. FREESTANDING COLUMNS: ANTITYPE OF CHRISTIANS: 1 Tim 3:15; Rev 3:12
Introduction:
1. "Four Freestanding decorative/symbolic
columns":
a. Three open air, roofless synagogues utilized four
freestanding columns. Magdala 50 BC, Herodium 66 AD, Ostia 50 AD.
b. While the assembly hall at Ostia had a roof, the four
freestanding columns were located in an open roofless atrium area:
"Besides their essentially functional role, some synagogue columns might
have had a purely ornamental purpose. The four monumental columns in the
entranceway to the Ostia sanctuary were clearly intended as a kind of
propylaeum [entrance of architectural importance to the Synagogue]." (The
Synagogue in Late Antiquity, Lee Levine, p340, 1987 AD)
c. There are two roofed synagogues (Magdala 50 BC and Herodium
66 AD) that features four HEART-SHAPED columns in each of the four corners.
While the total number of columns was more than four, the special heart
shape for the pillars in the corners had symbolic value and were required
to conform with "what a synagogue was supposed to look like
architecturally."
2. There are three first temple period synagogues
that had "Four Freestanding decorative/symbolic columns": Magdala,
Herodium and Ostia.
a. See top plan for: Magdala 50 BC
b. See top plan for: Herodium 66 AD
c. See top plan for: Ostia 50 AD
3. Both Magdala 50 BC and Herodium 66 AD have four
freestanding columns at the corners of the assembly hall whereas Ostia 50
BC had four symbolic freestanding columns in the foyer of the synagogue:
4. The use of heart-shaped symbolic columns in the
corners of the synagogues at Gamla 76 BC and Migdol 50 BC further proves
this four freestanding columns synagogue typology:
a. See top plan for: Migdol 50 BC
b. See top plan for: Gamla 76 BC
5. This proves there was a known "synagogue
signature typology" that included four freestanding columns.
Discussion:
1. One of the most obvious shared architectural
features between synagogues and churches is the presence of two rows of
Pillars.
a. In the earliest churches followed the
basic synagogue pattern of two rows of columns.
b. While there are many variations on a basic
theme, pillars were always used.
c. In ancient Synagogues, pillars were used
to execute justice when criminals were tied to pillars and beaten according
to Mosaic law.
2. Columns were inscribed and very important
architectural features for ancient synagogues:
a. "Columns in synagogues are often noted
in literary sources as a place for quiet meditation or for support when
feeling ill. In describing someone at the time of prayer, the Yerushalmi
states: "Although He far transcends His world, [yet when] someone enters a
synagogue and stands behind a column and prays in silence, the Holy One,
Blessed be He, hears his prayer." When R. Judah b. Pazi felt weak in the
synagogue, he held his head and stood behind a column, whereas in similar
circumstances, R. El'azar is reported to have simply left the premises."'
In another instance, R. Shmuel bar R. Yitzhaq noticed that the meturgeman
leaned against a column and did not stand next to the Torah reader, which
he regarded as mandatory."' (The Synagogue in Late Antiquity, Lee Levine,
p340, 1987 AD)
b. "Columns to support the roof are an
essential element in most public buildings and were found in almost all
excavations of ancient synagogues. Donors to the synagogue often inscribed
their names and the names of others on these columns as dedicatory
inscriptions, as they were readily visible to all, thus affording maximum
exposure and recognition. Such columns were found, inter alia, at Dabbura
in the Golan and at Gush Halav, Capernaum, and Khirbet Yitztiaqia (south of
Bet Shearim). One "Shim'ai, son of Ocsantis", from Bet Guvrin purchased
a column "in honor of the congregation"" (The Synagogue in Late
Antiquity, Lee Levine, p340, 1987 AD)
c. "When arriving in Ptolemais [Egypt],
named "Rose-bearing" on account of the particular character of the
place, in which the fleet waited for them for seven days in accordance with
their communal decision, 18 there they celebrated the deliverance with
drinking, for the king supplied to them magnanimously all things for their
departure to each person till the time when they should arrive at their own
homes. 19 And when they had landed in peace, in like manner with
appropriate thanksgivings, and there they also established these days to
celebrate in good cheer for the time of their sojourning, 20 which events
having also devoted to writing on a pillar and dedicating a place of prayer
at the site of the banquet, they departed unharmed, free, and overjoyed,
having been rescued by both land and sea and river by the command of the
king [Ptolemy IV 222-204 BC], each to their 21 previous place. Possessing
authority among their enemies, with honor and respect, they were extorted
of their possessions by no one at all. 22 And they received back all their
things in accordance with the registration, so that those possessing
anything of theirs restored it to them with great tribute. The great God
perfectly performed magnificent things for their deliverance." (victory
over Ptolemy IV Philopater 222-204 BC persecution; 3 Maccabees 7:17-22,
75 BC)
3. Synagogues were Law courts where the convicted
would be tied to a synagogue column and scourged:
a. Mosaic authority for public beatings:
"If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges
decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked,
then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall
then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of
stripes according to his guilt. "He may beat him forty times but no more,
so that he does not beat him with many more stripes than these and your
brother is not degraded in your eyes." (Deuteronomy 25:1-3)
b. "A How do they flog him? B One ties his
two hands on either side of a pillar [ie synagogue pillars], C and the
minister of the community grabs his clothing- D if it is torn, it is
torn, and if it is ripped to pieces, it is ripped to pieces- E until he
bares his chest. F A stone is set down behind him, on which the minister of
the community stands. G And a strap of cowhide is in his hand, doubled and
redoubled, with two straps that rise and fall [fastened] to it. 3:13 A Its
handle is a handbreadth long and a handbreadth wide, B and its end must
reach to his belly button. C And he hits him with a third of the stripes in
front and two-thirds behind. D And he does not hit [the victim] while he is
either standing or sitting, but bending low, E as it is said, And the judge
will cause him to lie down (Dt. 25:2). F And he who hits him hits with one
hand, with all his might." (Mishnah Makot 3:12-13)
c. "Three judges of civil law were in
Jerusalem, Admon, Hanan, and Nahum. Said R. Pappa, "Who is the Tannaite
authority who repeats, 'Nahum'? It is R. Nathan, in accord with that
which has been taught on Tannaite authority: R. Nathan says, 'Also Nahum
the Mede was among those who make decrees in Jerusalem,' but sages did
not concur with him." And were there no others? Didn't R. Phineas say
R. Oshayya said, "There were three hundred ninety-four courts in
Jerusalem, corresponding to the number of synagogues and the number of
schoolhouses and the number of schools for scribes"? There were many
more, to be sure, but we make reference in particular to judges of civil
law. Said R. Judah said R. Assi, "The civil judges who were in Jerusalem
would collect their salary of ninety-nine maneh from Temple funds. If they
didn't find that suitable, they would add to the salary." "If they
didn't find that suitable"? So are we dealing with money grubbers?
Rather: "If they didn't find that sufficient," they would give them
more, even though they didn't want it." (Babylonian Talmud, b. Ketub.
13:1, I.2.A-3.C)
d. "Therefore, behold, I am sending you
prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify,
and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from
city to city," (Matthew 23:34)
e. "And I said, 'Lord, they themselves
understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat
those who believed in You." (Acts 22:19)
4. The only freestanding pillars in the Old
Testament are "Jachin and Boaz" in the Solomonic temple.
a. "Thus he set up the pillars at the porch
of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set
up the left pillar and named it Boaz." (1 Kings 7:21)
b. "He also made two pillars for the front of
the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each was
five cubits. He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the
tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed them
on the chains. He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the
right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and
the one on the left Boaz." (2 Chronicles 3:15-17)
c. Note: Solomon's temple as depicted below
used ramps, since stairs were forbidden. The drawing is wrong.
5. KEY POINT that proves synagogue columns were
associated with the Temple of Solomon:
a. The Delos Samaritan Synagogue had no
columns because they hated the Jerusalem Temple and loved the Mt. Gerizim
temple to which they sent annual freewill offerings to support it!
b. The two inscriptions, the absence of a
mikveh and a lack of columns are evidence this is a Samaritan not Judean
Synagogue.
Delos Synagogue top plan WITH NO COLUMNS:
6. Freestanding Synagogue Columns: Exactly what the
purpose of these pillars serve or why they exist at all is a mystery.
a. "The Gallery: The existence of
upper-story galleries is indicated by columns along the length of the hall,
which could have supported such galleries. The U-shaped form of the upper
story was dictated by the rows of columns, found on all sides of the hall
except for the wall containing the entrances; the gal-ley was constructed
as an open gallery above the nave, and would have left the center of the
main hall unobstructed. Finds of architectural fragments, as well as
smaller columns and capitals which probably formed the colonnade of such a
gallery, further corroborate this assumption (Hachlili 1988:194-196). ...
Further evidence of the existence of galleries is the remains of smaller
columns and capitals, which probably formed colonnades; such artifacts have
been found at most Galilee and Golan synagogues: Arbel, Beam, Capernaum, H.
Shem`a, Nabratein, Korazim, and Golan: Assalieh ed-Dikke, 'En Neshut,
Qasrin and at Umm el-Qanatir. Interesting evidence is found in an Aramaic
inscription on an archi-trave fragment from Dabura (Golan), which reads:
"Elazar the son of (Ra)bbah made the columns above the arches and beams"
(Urman 1972:17, 19; Naveh 1978:no. 7). The inscription apparently refers
either to columns of an upper story or to a gallery. The arrangement of
columns on three sides of the hall occurs in the Galilean synagogues of
Arbel, Bar`am, H. Ammudim, Capernaum, Meiron, Meroth, and at Umm el-Qanatir
in the Golan. Some of these galleries were constructed with freestanding
columns. In the synagogues of Gush Halav, H. Shern`a, H. Sumaqa, Korazim,
and Qasrin, the second story appears to have been structured as a
clerestory. " (Ancient Synagogues - Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries
and Current Research, Rachel Hachlili, p151, 2013 AD)
b. "Besides their essentially functional
role, some synagogue columns might have had a purely ornamental purpose.
The four monumental columns in the entranceway to the Ostia sanctuary were
clearly intended as a kind of propylaeum." (The Synagogue in Late
Antiquity, Lee Levine, p340, 1987 AD)
c. While some argue the design is borrowed
from Greek or Roman architecture, it is more likely the pillars were
somehow symbolic of Solomon's temple with its two large freestanding
pillars out front of the temple.
d. Some believe the Jerusalem Temple of Herod
was the inspiration for synagogue columns. But this is unlikely because
Herod's temple was built in 18 BC and Magdala was build no later than 50
BC. Josephus mentions that the court of the women near the Jerusalem temple
had pillars and it is likely that this is also true for the Court of Israel
and the Court of the Priests even though Josephus is silent about them:
"This place was allotted to the women of our own country, and of other
countries, provided they were of the same nation, and that equally; the
western part of this court had no gate at all, but the wall was built
entire on that side; but then the cloisters which were betwixt the gates,
extended from the wall inward, before the chambers; for they were supported
by very fine and large pillars. These cloisters were single, and, excepting
their magnitude, were no way inferior to those of the lower court."
(Josephus, Wars 5.199-200)
e. The only freestanding columns in the bible
are the brass columns named Boaz and Jachin.
f. If Boaz and Jachin were not the
architype in the back of the mind of the Jews in Egypt when they designed
the first synagogues in 280 BC, it is likely the answer will forever elude
us.
g. We will proceed under the assumption that
Boaz and Jachin were the inspiration of the freestanding columns in
synagogues.
7. The synagogues at Magdala and Herodium and Ostia
had freestanding "decorative" columns that were added according to
known "synagogue typology".
a. Both Magdala and Herodium have only four
columns at the corners of the assembly hall.
b. In 66 AD, the Zealots converted an existing
OPEN AIR triclinium at Herodium into a synagogue by adding four
freestanding columns.
c. Herodium: "When the rebels revolted in
the year 66 AD, they were able to capture the Herodium. What did they do?
Well, in the place that had been a grand banquet hall in the Herodium, they
converted it into a synagogue. Here's what they did. They of course,
fashioned bench seating along the wall, along the walls in a rectangular
pattern, and they placed interior pillars-pillars that weren't
necessary, pillars that didn't hold anything up. Why did they do that?
It's back to what I said in an earlier lecture-this sense of synagogue
architectural typology. This is the way a synagogue is supposed to look. If
there was this well-known typology, this sense of how a synagogue ought to
look-just as many Christians no doubt today would say "This is what a
church is supposed to look like"-this argues that the synagogue
buildings that we have found (this one admittedly made no earlier than 66
or 67), there was a sense of how they should look. Therefore, the synagogue
as a recognizable building has a prehistory, would reach back I would
contend not just to the beginning of the first century AD but probably all
the way back well into the first century BC. The Herodium is very important
evidence, even though the synagogue as such wasn't very old. After all,
the Romans did recapture the Herodium within just a few years. But the way
the synagogue was hastily constructed by the rebels, converting a dining
hall into a synagogue and following this set pattern would suggest that
this pattern or typology was well entrenched in the thinking of the Jewish
people in the first century." (Archeology and the NT, Craig Evans, NT307,
Herodium, 2014 AD)
d. I was able to determine that the synagogues
at Madgala and Herodium could not structurally support a roof, by simply
taking note of the spacing between the four columns was too wide to support
anything other than a light canopy covering, if any at all. At Herodium, I
noted that the physical distance between the two columns is 8.54 meters (28
Feet) which is too wide for existing building materials to support a proper
roof.
e. In 67 Ad, the Rebels at Magdala, took most
of the sections (each column was composited from several barrel shaped
section) of the four synagogue columns and used them unsuccessfully as a
physical reinforcement of the city gate against the attacking Romans .
These synagogue column sections date back to 50 BC and can be seen today
when you visit the site.
8. Archeologists have recognized the structural
deficiencies of a roof at Herodium
a. Some solve the structural problem at
Herodium by theorizing (without any archeological evidence) that there were
6 columns as Herodium instead of the four they DID find.: Herodium: "The
edifice was originally constructed as a triclinium (dining hall) in Herod's
fortress palace. Although Corbo has suggested a date during the Bar Kochbah
revolt in the second century for the transformation of the edifice, it is
more likely that the building was converted for synagogue use around the
First Jewish Revolt (so Foerster, Chiat, Binder, Levine, Runesson). Benches
line the four walls, and four, possibly six (Corbo; Binder) columns
supported the roof and were located between the benches and the open space
of the centre of the hall. The rectangular building measures 15.15 x 10.6
m, and a miqweh (2 x 1.5 m) is located just outside the entrance by the
northern part of the wall. Identification of this building as a synagogue
is based on architectural similarities to other public structures
identified as synagogues, e.g., Gamla and Masada (Nos. 10, 28), as well as
by the presence of a nearby miqweh." (The Ancient Synagogue from its
Origins to 200 AD, Anders Runesson, 35, 2008 AD)
b. "Herodium: A triclinium at Herodium was
converted by the zealots into a hall (15 x 10.5 m) divided by four columns,
with benches lined along three walls (Foerster 1981:24; Netzer 2004:14-15).
Three entrances were found on the east leading into a large courtyard
(Figs. II-lc, 11-4). The hall was covered either by a ceiling, mainly above
the benches, or by a light screen cover. The walls were plastered with
stucco; a stepped miqveh was found close to the hall. " (Ancient
Synagogues - Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries and Current Research,
Rachel Hachlili, p28, 2013 AD)
9. The synagogue at Masada did not have
freestanding columns because the renovations made by the rebels in 66 AD
a. The architectural graphic overlays the
original structure in black and the final structure in red.
b. At Masada, the rebels left three columns in
place and moved two others to take up the load form the wall they
c. removed. These were structural and not
freestanding. Both Herodium and Magdala synagogues had freestanding
d. columns.
10. Columns in synagogues obscured the view of all the
benches:
a. The benches that lined the outside
synagogue walls had columns a few feet way from the edge of the bench.
b. As a person walked in the centre or walked
on the bema, there would always be someone sitting somewhere, whose view
was obstructed by the synagogue pillars.
c. The unique Hebrew design was very
different from contemporary Roman Amphitheatres and our modern churches and
entertainment theatres where the view of the audience is always clear from
each seat... with the exception of Massey Hall in Toronto where you get a
discount if you choose as seat behind a support column at the Gordon
Lightfoot concert.
d. The message is more important than the
messenger: The pillars would obscure the view of those seated as they focus
on the central court which indicates the design of the synagogue valued
listening to the reader or speaker, as opposed to seeing him.
JEWISH ART: HEART-SHAPED GALILEAN COLUMNS, HEART SHAPES ON MOSAIC FLOOR AND
TABLES
11. Heart-shaped "double-columns" columns are found in
many of the Galilean synagogues at Capernaum, Korazim, Gamla, Gush Halav,
Migdal, El-Araj, Arbel, Beam, H. Arnmudim, Meiron and Wadi Hamam.
a. Gush Halav: "The interior was divided
into a nave and two aisles by two rows of four columns each. The columns
stood on stylobates of dressed ashlars which are parallel to the two
north-south walls. Though the pedestals for the columns are virtually
identical in form, their dimensions vary. Similarly, the column fragments
recovered in the excavations vary in dimension, and the seven capitals
recovered differ in style. There are also fragments of two heart-shaped
columns with two matching capitals, whose placement within and association
with the synagogue is uncertain." (The question of the synagogue: the
problem of typology" in Judaism in Late Antiquity III, Where we Stand:
issues and debates in Ancient Judaism, Jodi Magness, Vol 4, Neusner, p1-48,
2001 AD)
b. Heart-shaped columns are common in ancient
synagogues:
Here are five heart column sections from Herod's palace at Alexandrium.
Photo by Melody Bogle
c. 12 Ancient Synagogue Heart-shaped Column
sectionals in secondary use as patio stones can be seen today on the north
shore of the Sea of Galilee on the beech at the Church of the Primacy of
St. Peter: "Below the steps, sometimes under water if the lake level is
high, are six heart-shaped stones. They are double-column blocks designed
for the angle of a colonnade, and never served any practical purpose in
their present position. Known as the Twelve Thrones and first mentioned in
a text of AD 808, they were probably taken from disused buildings
[Synagogues] and placed there to commemorate the Twelve Apostles. It takes
little insight to appreciate the mental jump from John 21:9 ... to 'You
will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones
to judge the twelve tribes of Israel' (Luke 22:30)." (Holy Land, Murphy
O'Connor, p. 319)
d. Heart-shapes are found on the stone Table of
the Scrolls at Magdala and on the mosaic floor at Jericho which features
the Wooden Ark of the Scrolls cabinet.
e. "Excavations at Magdala [Migdal, not the
newly discovered site on the sea of Gailiee] were conducted from 1971
through 1973. These excavations revealed a small building that is surely a
small, undecorated synagogue, about 26.8 by 23.8 feet. It was provided with
interior columnation around three sides and a set of five benches against
the N wall. "Heart-shaped" or double columns stood at the corners of
the lines of columnation." (ABD, Magdala, 1992 AD)
f. Scholars still debate the meaning of
several objects on the top of the Magdala Stone (see image below). For
example, opinions differ about the interpretation of two clusters of three
hearts-six hearts in total. Are they pretty space fillers? Are they ivy
leaves? Are they bread loaves? Motti Aviam, Professor of Archaeology at
Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, interprets these as bread loaves
that were offered on the shewbread table. Splitting each heart in half
conjures up an image paralleling the way bread was offered on the shewbread
table: two sets of six bread loaves. The symbols representing the shewbread
tables look like upside-down cups. Finding this symbol on ancient coins
gives credence to this interpretation. BAR
g. "Double (Heart-Shaped) Corner Column:
The double (heart-shaped) corner column (Fig. IV-21) is another exceptional
feature of synagogue architecture, found at the rear corner of the row of
columnation and the transverse row. These columns are found in many of the
Galilean synagogues: Arbel, Beam, H. Arnmudim, Capernaum, Meiron and Wadi
Hamam. At Gush Halav the use and location of the double columns are not
clear; three suggestions for their location are presented in Period
II-IV: either as the terminal columns on the floor or gallery level or as
having been brought to the site in the early Arab period and not having
been a part of the original building. A third possibility is suggested by
Kohl and Watzinger, who placed them in the corner columns of the back
(horizontal) row, which would have created a mezzanine level, and this is
the preferred interpretation (Belkin 1990:104-112, Figs. 37-42). The use of
the double columns appears to be a continuation of similar corner columns
in buildings of the Second Temple period (Gamla synagogue, Migdal I, Fig.
II-le). At Korazim, parts of a capital and drum of a double column,
belonging to the upper series columns, were found (Yeivin 2000:*20, Fig.
49, 52, Pl. 19:2, 20:1). Another feature peculiar to synagogue architecture
is the unusual colonettes flanking the windows, found in Galilean and Golan
synagogues. These colonettes, fluted and surmounted by small Corinthian
capitals, are found at Arbel, Capernaum, and ed-Dikke (Kohl and Watzinger
1916:Figs. 8, 133, 232, 262). Remains of capitals found in synagogues prove
that though the Jews used Roman, and later Byzantine, decorated capitals,
local artists were also working in an original style, as witnessed by the
added motifs and the special decoration of some of the Ionic and Corinthian
capitals. This is evident in all aspects of synagogue architectural
decoration. " (Ancient Synagogues - Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries
and Current Research, Rachel Hachlili, p149, 2013 AD)
12. Decoding the ancient Jewish symbolic meaning behind the
graphical Heart shaped symbol:
a. Granted the earliest documentation for our
modern heart symbol is 11th century AD, it is possible it was also used by
the early Jews.
b. If this is true, then the symbolism for the
heart in synagogues (House of PRAYER) would be this: "The Lord said to him,
"I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made
before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My
name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." (1
Kings 9:3)
a. a. c. "So now we must
answer how all of this is related to the heart. Here is where our lameds
are once again defined. At this point it is important to think again about
the symbol of the heart and to question its origin. And so it should come
as no surprise that the meaning of this symbol will once again be found in
the word for "heart" itself. In Hebrew, the word for heart is lev,
which is spelled lamed-beit. Rabbi Abraham Abulafia, in the year 1291,
wrote a manuscript by the name of Imrei Shefer, in which he defines the
meaning of the heart. Rabbi Abulafia teaches that the word lev,
lamed-beit, needs to be understood as two lameds. This is because the
letter beit is the second letter in the alphabet, and is numerically
equivalent to two. So he explains that the word needs to be read and
understood as "two lameds." But it is not enough to have two lameds. As
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains, in order for their to be a relationship,
the two lameds need to be connected. They need to be face to face. When we
turn around the second lamed to face the first, we form the image of the
Jewish Heart (as seen in the picture at the beginning of this article).
While the heart, as we are used to seeing it, is quite clear in this form,
an entirely new part of the heart is also revealed. The heart and the love
it represents can thrive, can flourish, only when there is a totality in
connection.This is because the letter lamed is the tallest of all the
letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The reason is because the lamed represents
the concept of breaking out of boundaries, of going beyond your potential,
of entering the superconscious from the conscious. The lamed also means two
things simultaneously. It means both "to learn" and "to teach,"
which shows us that the two are intertwined and both are essential. In a
relationship, I must be willing to learn from the other, thereby making
myself a receiver. Yet the other person also must be able to learn from me,
which then makes me the teacher, the giver. Furthermore, the image of the
lamed can be broken down into three other letters. The top part of the
letter is that of a yud, the smallest of the Hebrew letters, and the letter
that represents the head. The head contains the mind, the intellect, and
also the face. The next letter in "Elul" is a vav. In Hebrew, the vav
serves as a conjuctive "and." As a word, vav means "hook," and in
its form it looks like a hook. So in this case the vav is the hook which is
connecting the yud, the mind, with the bottom letter, the chaf, which
represents the body. Physically speaking, it symbolizes the neck, which
transports the flow of blood from the brain to the heart. This teaches us
that the heart, that the love that it represents, can thrive, can flourish,
only when there is a totality in connection. The Jewish heart, true love,
represents a mind-to-mind, face-to-face, eye-to-eye, body-to-body,
soul-to-soul connection. The vav, the connection between the head and the
heart, must always stay healthy, with a clear flow. If anything cuts it
off, the relationship cannot continue. As we all know, one of the quickest
ways to kill a person is a slit right across the neck. The neck is our
lifeline. It ensures that our head, our intellect, rules above our
emotions, and that there is a healthy interchange between the mind and the
heart. The heart that we are all familiar with, the symbol that represents
love throughout the world, lacks the yud and the vav; it is missing the
mind and the neck. The popular symbol represents only the physical
connection between bodies. So this is why and how Elul is the month that
begins back to back and ends face to face. At the beginning of the month we
are unaware of the reality that "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to
me." However, by working on ourselves during this month, by being willing
to turn around and make changes, we come to realize that our Creator has
never had His back turned. He has always been facing us, and just waiting
for us to turn around. And once we do, we are then like two lameds that are
face to face, which form the Jewish heart and which are the essence of the
month of Elul. Elul then must be understood as an aleph, representing
G-d, followed by a lamed, vav, lamed-a lamed that is connected (vav) to
the other lamed. And the Jewish heart, this idea of love as a totality of
connection, is not merely the work for the month of Elul, but is the entire
purpose of our creation. This Jewish heart is a symbol for why we were
created and what we are meant to accomplish. For the Torah is the blueprint
of creation, and the guidebook of how we connect to the divine. And it is
not a book that has a beginning, middle and end, but rather a scroll, since
we are taught that the "end is wedged in the beginning, and the beginning
in the end." So what do we find when the Torah scroll's end rolls into
the beginning? How does the Torah end and begin? The last word of the Torah
is Yisrael, Israel, which ends with the letter lamed; and the first word is
bereishit, meaning "in the beginning," which begins with a beit. When
we join the first and last letters of the Torah, we have lev, the Hebrew
word for heart." (The Jewish Heart, The Secret of Elul, Sara Esther
Crispe)
13. Solomon's temple had two brass freestanding columns:
a. "Jachin [and] Boaz The names of the two
monumental pillars, set up to the right and left of the portico. Their
exact nature is uncertain, due to uncertainties about the meaning of the
terms and the various formulations found in the Bible and ancient
translations. Nevertheless, it is certain that freestanding columns were
part of ancient Temple architecture." (Jewish Publication Society
commentary, 1 Kings 7:21, 2002 AD)
b. "The most reasonable suggestion is to take
these names as the catchwords of sentences that had been inscribed on the
columns, one on each; the first: ykyn (= Jachin) ksʾ dwd wmmlktw lzrʿw
ʿd ʿwlm, "He will establish the throne of David and his kingdom for his
offspring forever"; and the second: bʿz (Boaz) yhwh yśmḥ mlk, "In
the strength of YHWH shall the king rejoice" (originally proposed by
Scott 1939)." (AYBC, 1 Ki 7:21)
c. "His first project was to build two huge
free-standing pillars topped with intricately decorated, blossom-shaped
capitals. The open capitals on top of the thirty-foot-high columns may have
been filled with oil and then ignited to serve as huge lampstands in the
courtyard in front of the temple proper. The one on the right was given the
name "Jachin," meaning "He shall establish," and the one on the
left the name "Boaz," meaning "in strength. Why the columns were
named is not revealed, but some interesting guesses have been proposed. ...
The simplest explanation is that the columns were named to symbolize the
presence of the strong name of Yahweh in the temple, and the permanence of
His covenant with Israel. Whatever the meaning of the names, the columns
must have been an awesome sight to those who approached the vestibule of
the temple." (The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 9: 1, 2 Kings,
1987 AD)
d. "2 Chron. 3:15 לִפְנֵי
הַבַּיִת, and in v. 17 עַל־פְּנֵי הַהֵיכָל,
"before the house," "before the Holy Place." This unquestionably
implies that the two brazen pillars stood unconnected in front of the hall,
on the right and left sides of it, and not within the hall as supporters of
the roof." (K&D, Commentary on the Old Testament, 1 Kings 7:21)
e. "It is not entirely clear what these
pillars represent. Keil believes they symbolize the strength and stability
of the kingdom of God in Israel. Gray suggests they "may symbolize the
presence and permanence of Yahweh and the king." Jones combines these two
ideas, for he argues that the pillars "symbolized the covenant between
God and his people, and especially between him and the Davidic dynasty."
Certainly worshipers would see the impressive monuments and reflect on all
these ideas. God's strength and Israel's stability are both highlighted
in the Davidic Covenant." (New American Commentary, 1 Kings 7:15-22, 1995
AD)
f. "Much detail is given in 1 Kings
7:17-20, 22 to demonstrate the beauty and intricacy of these
free-standing monuments. The pillars were erected on either side of the
temple portico (the roofless front porch). Jakin, the name of the south
pillar, means "He [Yahweh] establishes," and Boaz, the name of the
north pillar, means "In Him [Yahweh] is strength." These stood as a
testimony to God's security and strength available to the nation as she
obeyed Him." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1 Kings 7:17-20, 1985 AD)
g. "Jachin [and] Boaz The names of the two
monumental pillars, set up to the right and left of the portico. Their
exact nature is uncertain, due to uncertainties about the meaning of the
terms and the various formulations found in the Bible and ancient
translations. Nevertheless, it is certain that freestanding columns were
part of ancient Temple architecture." (Jewish Publication Society Bible
commentary, 1 Kings 7:21, 2002 AD)
h. "He also made two pillars for the front of
the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each was
five cubits. He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the
tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed them
on the chains. He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the
right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and
the one on the left Boaz." (2 Chronicles 3:15-17)
i. "The pillars were brazen [made of
brass], and begin the list of all the metal articles, which were first
finished by the peculiarly skillful artisan Hiram, after the building of
the temple was completed (chap. 6:14, 37, 38). If they had been designed to
bear up the roof of the porch or the projection of its entrance, they could
not have been vessels, but necessary integral parts of the building; but as
this was "finished" without them, and as supporting pillars of brass
are never found in stone and wooden buildings; these pillars, which were
works of art, could not have had an architectural but only a monumental
character, and this is shown by the names attached to them. Stieglitz truly
says: "It was their separate position alone which gave these pillars the
impressive aspect they were designed to wear, and the significant dignity
with which they increased the grandeur of the whole, while they shed light
upon its purpose."" (A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, J.P. Lange, 1
Kings 7:21, 2008 AD)
j. "The two pillars Jachin and Boaz were
no more an innovation than the erection of a house instead of a tent; they
owed their existence to the conditions that distinguished a new period of
the theocracy. This we learn from their suggestive names. Jachin refers to
the fact that Jehovah's dwelling-place, hitherto movable and moving, was
now firmly fixed in the midst of His people; Boaz tells of the power,
strength, and durability of the house. Both were monuments of Jehovah's
covenant with His people, monuments of the saving might, grace, and
faithfulness of the God of Israel, who at last crowned the deliverance from
Egypt, by dwelling and reigning ever in a sure house in the midst of His
people. It stands to reason that such pillars could not have been placed
before the tent; they could only stand before the house, where they
belonged to the porch, for it was the latter that gave to the
dwelling-place the appearance of a house and a palace, in distinction from
that of a tent. They were formed in accordance with their signification,
being not of wood, not slender and slight, but of brass, thick and strong,
which gave the impression of firmness and durability. The crown (capital),
which is the principal characteristic of every pillar, consisted mainly, as
did the brazen sea, of an open lily-cup. The Hebrew named the lily simply
"the white," (שׁוּשַׁן from שׁוּשׁ, to be white;) it is,
therefore, a natural symbol of purity and of holiness to him." (A
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, J.P. Lange, 1 Kings 7:21, p89, 2008 AD)
k. "The purpose of the two huge pillars
(about 27 ft/8 m high) is not clear. They did not support anything but were
freestanding, located in front of the temple portico. They were topped with
elaborately decorated, lily-shaped capitals. Their names, Jakin and Boaz,
are something of a puzzle, but the most likely theory is that these were
the opening words of two inscriptions. On the basis of the various
expressions found in the Psalms it has been suggested that the inscriptions
may have read roughly as follows: 'Yahweh will establish [jakin] thy
throne for ever', and 'In the strength [boaz] of Yahweh shall the king
rejoice.' If this is correct, the pillars may have commemorated God's
promises concerning the Davidic dynasty. There are hints later in Kings
that on taking the throne a king stood by one of these pillars to pledge
himself to keep God's covenant laws (2 Ki. 11:14; 23:3)." (The New
Bible Commentary, D. A. Carson, 1 Kings 7:13-47, 1994 AD)
14. Physical History of Solomon's Two freestanding brass
columns:
a. 966 BC: Solomon puts the two freestanding
brass columns out front of the Temple.
b. 587 BC: Nebuchadnezzar destroys: "Now the
bronze pillars which belonged to the house of the Lord and the stands and
the bronze sea, which were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in
pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon." (Jeremiah 52:17)
c. 835 BC: Young king Joash was anointed king
beside one of these pillars: "Then he brought the king's son out and put
the crown on him and gave him the testimony; and they made him king and
anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, "Long live the
king!" When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she
came to the people in the house of the Lord. She looked and behold, the
king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, with the captains
and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced
and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason!
Treason!"" (2 Kings 11:12-14)
d. 623 BC: Josiah re-established the covenant
of Moses beside the pillar: "The king (Josiah) stood by the pillar and made
a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His
commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and
all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in
this book. And all the people entered into the covenant." (2 Kings 23:3)
e. 515 BC: Ezra's temple completed without
any record of pillars or columns.
15. CHURCH ANTITYPE: Discussion and analysis of meaning and
symbolism behind Solomon's temple freestanding columns:
a. King David designed them with the help of
Hiram king of Tyre.
b. They were freestanding and therefore
symbolic of something important. They were not needed for any structural
reasons and were purely "decorative".
c. The columns are the only architectural
element of the Temple that received names.
d. The names Boaz and Jachin were engraved into
the columns: Although scripture is silent on the matter, the two names were
obviously carved in the columns as an engraving.
e. The two names Jachin and Boaz. The names
literally translate to: North pillar "Jachin = establishes"; South
pillar "Boaz = strength". The idea is thought to mean either YHWH is
the one who establishes and strengths: His covenant and/or the David
kingdom.
f. The columns were brass: Twice in
Revelation, Jesus' feet are equated with polished bronze. Feet are the
foundation and stability and support of the entire body: "His feet were
like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His
voice was like the sound of many waters." (Revelation 1:15) ""And to the
angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a
flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:"
(Revelation 2:18)
g. In ancient Synagogues, pillars were used
to execute justice when criminals were tied to pillars and beaten according
to Mosaic law: There is a sense in which Christians will judge the world:
"Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go
to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know
that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are
you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know
that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you
have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as
judges who are of no account in the church?" (1 Corinthians 6:1-4)
16. The symbolism of pillars is used in the New Testament
as an antitype for the church and the individual Christian:
a. Solomon's two columns had names
inscribed on them.
b. "Columns to support the roof are an
essential element in most public buildings and were found in almost all
excavations of ancient synagogues. Donors to the synagogue often inscribed
their names and the names of others on these columns as dedicatory
inscriptions, as they were readily visible to all, thus affording maximum
exposure and recognition. Such columns were found, inter alia, at Dabbura
in the Golan and at Gush Halav, Capernaum, and Khirbet Yitztiaqia (south of
Bet Shearim). One "Shim'ai, son of Ocsantis", from Bet Guvrin purchased
a column "in honor of the congregation"" (The Synagogue in Late
Antiquity, Lee Levine, p340, 1987 AD)
c. The church is composed of individual
"freestanding column Christians" who uphold the truth to death:
"household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
support of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
d. Just as Solomon's two brass columns were
ENGRAVED with special names, so too God will ENGRAVE three things on us:
God's Name, the name of the New Heavenly Jerusalem and the New name of
Jesus: "'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My
God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the
name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem,
which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name." (Revelation
3:12)
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Quick links
Ancient Synagogues
Go to: Main Start Page
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Quick links:
Master introduction: Summary overview is the place to start to tie it all together.
Providence: God's eternal plan: The providential transition from Temple to Synagogue to Church
Origin: Synagogues originated at Alexandria Egypt in 280 BC spawned by the Septuagint
Jesus the Messiah of the Tanakh:
1. First Century Jewish Messianic Expectation: As witnessed in the Dead Sea scrolls.
2. Looking for the wrong thing: Mistaken Jewish ideas of the Messiah in 30 AD.
3. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: Master list of fulfilled messianic prophecies
4. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: "He shall be called a Nazarene (branch)" Matthew 2:23
5. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: "Jesus would rise the third day" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Synagogue Architectural Prototypes in the Church:
1. Standard architectural synagogue typology: Introduction, Master Chart
2. Mikveh for Ritual Purity: The Christian Maker
3. Ritual purity stone Vessels: Stoneware cups and wash basins
4. Freestanding Columns: Antitype of Christians
5. Artwork: Heart-Shaped Columns
6. The bema: Prototype of the Church Pulpit
7. Synagogue Benches: Metaphor of Equality in Christ
8. Women Seating in Synagogues: Not segregated from men
9. The Moses' Seat: Metaphor of Pride
10. Niches & Ark of The Scrolls: Prototype of Church Apse
11. Table of the Scrolls: Prototype of Communion Table
12. Byzantine Church Architecture: Octagonal and Basilica
13. Orientation: Early Synagogues did not Point to Jerusalem
14. The Church replaced the Temple: Replacement theology is pure Christianity
Synagogue Worship Prototypes in the Church:
15. Worship prototypes: Introduction and Master Summary Chart
16. Collective Names of Synagogues: House of Prayer, Temple, Church
17. Organization of Synagogues: Elders, officials, attendants, Independent, autonomous
18. Attendance: Weekly Sabbath Assemblies in Synagogues absent from Tanakh
19. Public Bible readings: Preaching and Teaching In Synagogues
20. Greek Septuagint: The Standard Tanakh of every ancient synagogue
21. Greek Septuagint scroll of the Twelve Minor Prophets written in 50 BC
22. Prayer in Synagogues: "House of prayer" Proseuche
23. Food: Sacred Passover Meals, No Common Meals In Synagogues
24. Sermon Topics in Synagogues: How Christians used the Tanakh to convert Jews
25. Singing in Synagogues: Non-Instrumental Acapella Responsive Singing
26. Benevolence Money: Freewill Weekly First fruits Collections for poor in Synagogues
27. Education: Schools and Literacy of Jews In Synagogues
28. Role of Women in Synagogues: Never leaders, preachers but never segregated
29. Sanctuary Status: Refugees seeking Asylum in Synagogues
30. Appendages: Hostels, Housing and Food Banks in Synagogues
31. Civil Court: Judgements, beatings and scourging in Synagogues
32. Civic Meetings: Political Town Hall assemblies in Synagogues
33. Christians replaced Jews: Replacement theology is pure Christianity
Synagogue Occupation Date (SOD)= Excavation date + Inscriptional date + Literary date
Allusions: Synagogue worship allusions and imagery in the New Testament
Master builder Stonemason Jesus: "Upon this Rock I will build My church"
Everyday life: Archeology of Everyday Life and Homes at the time of Jesus
Master List: Master list of First Temple Period, Pre-70 AD Synagogues
Attend a church you can read about in the Bible: Click here to find a church near you.
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Go to:
Master Synagogue List
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Jewish Messianic Expectations in DSS
Go to:
Map of Synagogue Sites
Excavations
Inscriptions
Literature
Go to:
Synagogue Excavations
Go to:
Synagogue Inscriptions
Go to:
Synagogue Literary Sources
Jesus Master Builder of the Church/Temple
Archeology of First Century Houses
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Jesus your messiah is waiting for you to come home!
Why not worship with a first century New Testament church near you, that has the same look and feel as the Jewish Synagogue in your own home town. As a Jew, you will find the transition as easy today as it was for the tens of thousands of your forefathers living in Jerusalem 2000 years ago when they believed in Jesus the Nazarene (the branch) as their messiah. It's time to come home!
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