Judaism, a religion that spans millennia and remains possibly the most influential of all major religions today. Now one of the key parts of the Jewish religion is its long history of religious practices, temple services, and its magnificent temples. Now because the history of the Jews is long their worship has obviously become what it is today over the course of various events through the history of their faith and people. There are multiple ways that the Jews express their love to God through their practices in their temples. Thus temples/synagogues in Judaism have served many purposes in history, but most of all help to develop a person's relationship with God and help them learn and better understand their faith.
The earliest center of Jewish worship and culture was the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple in Jerusalem was always a place of prayer, sacrifice, and political institution and influence. The temple was first built during the reign of King Solomon as a place to house the most sacred of Jewish relics, the Arc of the Covenant. It was in this place of worship that people would come to pray and offer sacrifice. The importance of the sacrifice offered depended on what it was being offered for, because the most important sacrifices were offered before festivals while lesser sacrifices were offered for the forgiveness of sins. Sadly the First temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, but would come to be rebuilt some seventy years later by the returning Jews from the Babylonian Exile. In the first century BCE King Herod would make significant changes to the temple in order to recreate it in the likeness of King Solomon's temple. Thus the temple was yet again the center of religious, spiritual, communal, and cultural activity and authority in Jerusalem. The building was later destroyed in 70 Ce by the Romans and has not been rebuilt since. However the history of the temple of Jerusalem remain huge parts of Jewish culture and tradition today and it is shown by the many Jews who go to the western wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to say prayers for its restoration.
Aside from the temple in Jerusalem Jews also worshiped in houses of prayer called synagogues. The origin of the synagogue is often traced back to the Babylonian Exile,where the Jewish people were captured and removed from their homeland by the Babylonians, they served as places of worship after the Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. The functions of a synagogue are quite clear to those who attend, it is a place of study, prayer, communal gathering, social welfare agency, and celebration. Inside this house of worship there is a sanctuary were prayer services and ritual objects are held. The Sanctuary is built so that the front of it faces Jerusalem. The most important feature of the sanctuary is a sacred cabinet called the Ark which holds Torah scrolls. Above the Ark is the ner tamid, or eternal lamp, which is a lamp that signifies the commandment of keeping a light burning I the tabernacle outside of the curtain of the Ark of the Covenant. In the room you will also find a candelabrum called a menorah and a pedestal called a bi ha where Torah scrolls are placed. Those who attend services at the synagogue attend on festivals and on the Sabbath, a day of rest and religious observance every Saturday. Faithful Jews are expected to pray at home. At dawn and at nightfall Jews recite the Shema Prayer and truly faithful Jews set aside three times for prayer during the day. Synagogues are financed through annual membership dues, unlike the weekly donation made by the communities of Christian churches. These buildings for the most part are run by their community rather than any central authority. When services are held in orthodox synagogues women are required to sit away from men because men must have their minds on prayer.
The earliest center of Jewish worship and culture was the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple in Jerusalem was always a place of prayer, sacrifice, and political institution and influence. The temple was first built during the reign of King Solomon as a place to house the most sacred of Jewish relics, the Arc of the Covenant. It was in this place of worship that people would come to pray and offer sacrifice. The importance of the sacrifice offered depended on what it was being offered for, because the most important sacrifices were offered before festivals while lesser sacrifices were offered for the forgiveness of sins. Sadly the First temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, but would come to be rebuilt some seventy years later by the returning Jews from the Babylonian Exile. In the first century BCE King Herod would make significant changes to the temple in order to recreate it in the likeness of King Solomon's temple. Thus the temple was yet again the center of religious, spiritual, communal, and cultural activity and authority in Jerusalem. The building was later destroyed in 70 Ce by the Romans and has not been rebuilt since. However the history of the temple of Jerusalem remain huge parts of Jewish culture and tradition today and it is shown by the many Jews who go to the western wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to say prayers for its restoration.
Aside from the temple in Jerusalem Jews also worshiped in houses of prayer called synagogues. The origin of the synagogue is often traced back to the Babylonian Exile,where the Jewish people were captured and removed from their homeland by the Babylonians, they served as places of worship after the Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. The functions of a synagogue are quite clear to those who attend, it is a place of study, prayer, communal gathering, social welfare agency, and celebration. Inside this house of worship there is a sanctuary were prayer services and ritual objects are held. The Sanctuary is built so that the front of it faces Jerusalem. The most important feature of the sanctuary is a sacred cabinet called the Ark which holds Torah scrolls. Above the Ark is the ner tamid, or eternal lamp, which is a lamp that signifies the commandment of keeping a light burning I the tabernacle outside of the curtain of the Ark of the Covenant. In the room you will also find a candelabrum called a menorah and a pedestal called a bi ha where Torah scrolls are placed. Those who attend services at the synagogue attend on festivals and on the Sabbath, a day of rest and religious observance every Saturday. Faithful Jews are expected to pray at home. At dawn and at nightfall Jews recite the Shema Prayer and truly faithful Jews set aside three times for prayer during the day. Synagogues are financed through annual membership dues, unlike the weekly donation made by the communities of Christian churches. These buildings for the most part are run by their community rather than any central authority. When services are held in orthodox synagogues women are required to sit away from men because men must have their minds on prayer.