Bible Lexicons

(1) For συναγωγή in its literal sense of ";a drawing together"; cf. the description of the awning of a boat in P Cairo Zen I. 59054.6 (B.C. 257) πρυ ̣μ ̣ν ̣η ̣τ ̣ικὴ. . . ἔχουσ ̣α ̣ συναγωγὴν εἰς πη ̣χ ̣εις γ ̄, i.e. ";converging for a distance of three cubits"; (Edd.) : also.21, .32.

(2) Hence, more generally, ";a collecting,"; ";a gathering"; (a) of things—P Cairo Zen II. 59173.29 (B.C. 255 or 254) ώς ἂν ἡ ] συναγωγὴ τοῦ σίτου [γένηται, Chrest. I. 304.5 (iii/B.C.) εἰς τὴν συνα ]γωγὴν τοῦ λοιποῦ (sc. κρότωνος), Chrest. I. 155.2 (a book catalogue from Memphis—beg, iii/A.D.) Σωκ [ρα ]τικῶν ἐπιστο [λ (ῶν)] συναγωγαί : cf. Cic. ad Att. xvi. 5. 5 mearum epistularum nulla est συναγωγή.

(b) Of persons. The use of συναγωγή in the LXX to denote an ";assembly"; for religious purposes, practically synonymous with ἐκκλησία, is prepared for by such passages from the inscrr. as CIG II. 2448 (Will of Epiktela—iii/ii B.C.), where συναγωγή is used of the ";assembling"; of the θίασος or corporation, and Syll 653 (= .3 736).49 (Andania decree—B.C. 92) ἐν τᾶι πρώται συννόμωι συναγωγᾶι τῶν συνέδρων, where the reference is to the senate of Andania. Both passages are cited by Hicks CR i. p. 43. See also the Ptolemaic inscr. of probably B.C. 112 reproduced by Strack (Archiv iii. p. 129) which begins ἐπὶ συναγωγῆς τῆς γενηθείσης ἐν τῶι ἄνω Ἀπολλ [ω ]νιείωι τοῦ πολιτεύματος καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως Ἰδουμαίων, where the συναγωγή is composed of τὸ πολίτευμα along with οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως Ἰδουμαῖοι, BGU IV. 1137.2 (B.C. 6) ἐ ̣π ̣ι ̣̣ τ ̣ῆ ̣ς ̣ γ ̣ε ̣[νη ]θείσης συναγωγῆς ἐν τω ̣̑ Παρα ̣τόμωι συνόδου Σεβάστης τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος ἧς συνα [γωγεὺς ] καὶ προστάτης Πρῖμος, an important document as expressly connecting a club or association, σύνοδος, with the Imperial cult (see Archive, p. 331 f.), and P Oxy IX. 1205.7 (A.D. 291) [ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερώσεως καὶ ἀπολύσ ]εως παρὰ τῆς συνα [γ ]ωγῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων is of interest as showing not only the existence of a Jewish colony at Oxyrhynchus, but the action of the synagogue in the manumission of certain Jews referred to in the document.

In a similar Jewish deed of enfranchisement from Kertch of date A.D. 81, CIG II. 2114 bb, reference is made to the joint-guardianship of the synagogue, 18 σὺν [ἐ ]πιτροπῇ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. In citing the inscr. Hicks (CR i. p. 4) notes that ";the manumitted slave is pledged only to one obligation, that of diligent attendance at the synagogue worship.";

On the inscr. συνα ]γωγὴ Ἐβρ [αίων discovered at Corinth see s.v. Ἐβραῖος, and note further the occurrence of the word to denote a ";place of worship"; (cf. James 2:2) in an inscr. dated A.D. 318–319, which was discovered at Lebaba near Damascus and published by Le Bas and Waddington Inscriptions grecques et latinesm iii. No. 2558—

Συναγωγὴ Μαρκιωνιστῶν κώμ (ης)

Λεβάβων τοῦ κ (υρίο)υ καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰη (σοῦ) Χρηστοῦ

προνοία (ι) Παύλου πρεσβ (υτέρου)—τοῦ λχ ἔτους,

";the meeting-house of the Marcionists, in the village of Lebaba, of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Erected by the forethought of Paul a presbyter—In the year 630 (i.e. of the Seleucid era)"; : cf. Schürer.3 ii. p. 443 n..52 (= HJP II. ii. p. 69), Harnack Mission and Expansion, 2 p. 123 f., and Zahn Intr. i. p. 94 f. See also s.v. προσευχή.