Statement

Justice, business and the freeing of slaves took place there, as in a community center; but the synagogue's essential function was to put Jews in touch with the Bible, since it held the Torah scrolls and was where the Torah was read in public. Some may have had a 'seat of Moses', a seat of honor where the leader or a respected elder may have sat, though what it was for is debated.

References

1. p. 122

   supports · main text · ch. 5

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Section: Jewish Life in a Christianized Roman Context

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text

2. p. 122

   reports disagreement · main text · ch. 5

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Section: Jewish Life in a Christianized Roman Context

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text