Ruins of the Second Temple Period Synagogue on Top of Masada

View of the Entrance to the Synagogue from the Inside

 ²¹  They *went into Capernaum; and immediately on the SabbathHe entered the synagogue and began to teach. ²²  They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
-Mark 1:21-22

Rows of Benches inside the Synagogue

Standing in the Entrance

¹⁶ And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the ^[e]book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the ^[f]book and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

²⁰ And He closed the ^[g]book, gave it back to the attendant andsat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ^[h]hearing.”  -Luke 4:16-21 

Entrance to the Synagogue

Artist's Depiction of the Jewish Synagogue on the Top of Masada, As It Once Might Have Appeared Long Ago 

 This building was constructed during the time of Herod and was apparently first used as a stable. However, it was converted into a synagogue at the time of the Great Revolt. Two pits dug in the floor of the back room were found to contain Biblical scrolls. Among the scroll fragments discovered was Ezekiel's vision of the valley of the dry bones. This is one of the only synagogues dating from the time of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The time of Christ occurred during this era known as the Second Temple Period.

Rows of Benches inside the Synagogue