La sinagoga come istituzione di accoglienza per pellegrini e viaggiatori ebrei

Abstract

It is well known that the institution of the synagogue was the religious and social centre
around which the Jewish communities scattered throughout the Mediterranean in Roman
times gravitated. It was a place of assembly, worship, teaching, study of the Law, but also
a place of lodging for visitors. The combination of information provided by epigraphy,
archaeological remains and written documentary sources confirms the existence of specific
rooms for this function in many synagogues. Indeed, Jews making pilgrimages to the Temple
in Jerusalem, to Mount Sinai or to the tombs of pious Jewish heroes rooted in the biblical
tradition, or those visiting the most respected rabbis or teachers of the Law, often stayed in
synagogues. There were cases, especially in Egypt, where the synagogues themselves became
places of pilgrimage for Diaspora Jews.

Key-words: Ancient Synagogue, journeys, pilgrimage, lodging.