Ethos and practices of the ancient synagogue school in the beginning of the common era

Authors

• Jari Metsämuuronen Opetushallitus

Abstract

The Jewish Synagogue School is one of the oldest still functional forms of public education. Ancient Synagogue school was an antecedent for later Christian and Islamic educational traditions. In the ancient Jewish tradition the study of Torah, both the oral and written Law, was highly appreciated. All the children – including girls – need to be taught to know the divine Law by heart. For this purpose the ancient Synagogue school was established. On the basis of the collection of the oral tradition Talmud, the Hebrew Bible Tanakh and research literature the article describes the ethos of the education, practices in pre-school education, two levels of the education – Bet Shefer and Bet Ha-Midrash, teachers’ and teaching’s appreciation, pedagogical specialities, as well as language issues in the education in the beginning of the Common Era.