Bewuyini umsuka wamasinagogo?

IGAMA elithi “isinagogo” livela egameni lesiGirigi elithi “ihlangano” namkha “ukuhlangana ndawonye.” Igameli liyafaneleka ngombana ngesikhathi samaJuda amasinagogo bekuziindawo lapho kuhlanganyelwa khona ngomnqopho wokuyalwa nokulotjha. ImiTlolo yesiHebheru ayizitjengisi iinkhombo ezizwisisekako ezikhuluma ngesinagogo nanyana kunjalo, emiTlolweni yamaKrestu yesiGirigi kuyavela ukuthi iindawo zokuhlanganyelezi bezikhona nangeenkhathi zabapostoli.

Izazi ezinengi zikholelwa ukuthi amasinagogo athoma ngesikhathi sokuthunjelwa kwamaJuda eBhabhiloni. I-Encyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Abantu abathunjiweko bebakhandelwa ukuthi babe neThempeli kanti godu bebabasendaweni abangayaziko. Bebatlhoga ukududuzwa ngebanga lamatshwenyeko ebebaqalana nawo ngalokho qobe ngamaSabatha bebahlangana bafunde imiTlolo.” Lokha nawatjhatjhululwa ekuthunjweni kubonakala ngasuthi amaJuda aragela phambili nokuhlangana ndawonye bona athandaze bewafunde nemiTlolo. Nanyana kukuphi lapho ebewazokuhlala khona bewalinga ukuba nesinagogo.

Nje-ke, ngesikhathi sabapostoli amasinagogo bekayindawo yokulotjha neyokuhlangana komphakathi wamaJuda ebewurhatjheke eendwaweni eziseduze neLwandle le-Mediterranean, eKabeni yePumalanga nakwa-Israyeli. UPhrofesa uLee Levine we-The Hebrew University of Jerusalem uthi: “[Isinagogo] bekuyindawo yokufunda, yokwenza isidlo esicwengileko, yokugweba imilandu, yokuletha iimali ezibuthelelweko zemiphakathi nokubamba imihlangano yezepolotiki neyemiphakathi.” Ungezelela uthi: “Ebekuqakatheke khulu, bekukulotjha uZimu.” Nje-ke, akusirari ukuthi uJesu bekahlala aya emasinagogeni. (Mar. 1:21; 6:2; Luk. 4:16) Bekafundisa, alayele bekakhuthaze abakhona. Nakuthoma ibandla lobuKrestu, umpostoli uPowula naye watjhumayela khulu emasinagogeni. Abantu abanekareko ngezinto zakaZimu bebakuthanda ukuya esinagogeni, yeke nakafika edorobheni uPowula bekathoma aye esinagogeni ayokutjhumayela khona.—IzE. 17:1, 2; 18:4.