Prior to their period of captivity in Babylon, the people of Judah worshipped in the temple in Jerusalem.  But, after they were taken out of Judah and brought into Babylon and away from the temple, they had to find another way to worship, since the temple was no longer available to them.  So, they developed the synagogue.  This was a place where Jewish males gathered in order to read the scrolls of the Scriptures – what today we call the Old Testament – pray to God, and hear His Word expounde...