Synagogue, The Great
Culture & Societyâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
A traditional assembly of 120 sages, often associated with Ezra, which is credited in rabbinic literature with canonizing the Hebrew Bible and standardizing Jewish liturgy, though its historical existence is largely regarded by modern scholars as a literary construct rather than a factual institution.
What is the meaning of Synagogue, The Great in the Bible?
A traditional assembly of 120 sages, often associated with Ezra, which is credited in rabbinic literature with canonizing the Hebrew Bible and standardizing Jewish liturgy, though its historical existence is largely regarded by modern scholars as a literary construct rather than a factual institution.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding this tradition clarifies the historical context of the Hebrew Bible's compilation and highlights the rabbinic effort to preserve religious identity and textual authority during the Persian and early Hellenistic periods.
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Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.