SYMBOL
was
a
race
(He
120
and
a
warfare
(Eph
6"-").
An
element
ol
similarity
entered
into
the
dream-
visions
re-corded
in
the
Bible
and
into
the
symbolism
of
prophetic
warnings
(Is
S'-',
Jer
13'-'^
Ezk
37'-").
In
the
Epistles
we
meet
with
a
rich
variety
of
emblems
created
by
the
desire
to
interpret
the
Person
and
mission
of
Christ,
and
the
relationship
of
the
Christian
believer
to
Him.
The
writers,
being
of
Jewish
origin
and
addressing
com-munities
which
usually
contained
a
number
of
Jewish
Christians,
naturally
turned
to
the
biographies,
national
history,
and
sacred
institutions
of
the
OT.
Whatever
was
drawn
from
such
a
source
would
not
only
be
familiar,
but
would
seem
to
be
part
of
an
organic
whole,
and
to
possess
a
value
of
Divine
preparation.
Examples
of
these
are
the
Second
Adam,
the
Firstborn,
the
Chief
Shepherd,
the
Chief
Corner-stone.
The
journey
to
Canaan
supplied
Passover,
manna,
rock,
redemption,
better
country,
rest.
From
the
Tabernacle
and
Temple
were
taken
high
priest,
altar,
sacrifice,
veil,
peace-
offering,
lamb,
atonement.
2.
Symbols
of
repressDtative
selection
orSynecdoctae.—
The
symbol
is
in
this
case
the
agent
or
implement,
or
some
conspicuous
accompaniment
selected
from
a
group
of
concrete
particulars,
so
that
the
part
represents
the
whole.
Thus
the
insignia
of
office
and
authority
are
crown,
sword,
sceptre,
seal,
coin,
robe,
rod,
staff.
Various
actions
and
relationships
are
symbolically
indicated,
such
as
the
giving
of
the
hand
(compact),
foot
on
the
neck
(conquest),
bored
ear
(perpetual
servitude),
washing
of
the
hands
(innocence),
bared
or
outstretched
arm
(energy)
,
gnashing
of
teeth
(disappoint-ment
and
remorse),
shaking
the
head
(contempt
and
dis-approval),
averted
face(angTy
repudiation),
bread
(hospi-tality),
cross
(suffering
of
Christ,
and
suffering
for
Him).
3.
Memorial
and
mystical
symbols.
—
These
might
belong
to
either
of
the
above
forms
or
be
artificially
selected,
but
the
purpose
was
not
so
much
to
instruct
and
emphasize
as
to
recall
and
perpetuate
circumstances
and
feelings,
or
to
suggest
a
meaning
that
must
remain
concealed.
Such
were
the
rainbow
at
the
Flood,
the
stone
Ebenezer,
the
symbolical
names
often
given
to
children,
as
Moses,
Ichabod,
and
the
names
in
Jacob's
family,
the
Urim
and
Thummim,
the
white
ston^,
and
the
number
of
the
beast,
etc.
Of
this
class
were
the
sculptured
emblems
of
the
early
Christians
in
the
catacombs
of
Rome,
such
as
the
palm,
dove,
anchor,
ship,
fish.
Alpha
and
Omega.
Water,
bread
anS
wine,
as
the
material
elements
in
Baptism
and
the
iLord's
Supper,
are
the
symbols
of
those
Sacraments.
Thp
name
'
symbol
'
is
applied
to
the
selection
of
generally
aC(fepted
truths
forming
the
Christian
creed,
or
canon
of
belief.
Certain
characters
in
the
Bible,
such
as
Jonah,
Mary
Magdalene,
Herod,
Judas,
have
come
to
be
identified
with
special
types
of
character
and
conduct,
and
are
said
to
be
symbolical
of
those
classes.
4.
Dangersof
symbolism.—
(1)
The
act
of
transmitting
spiritual
and
eternal
truth
through
material
And
perish-able
media
always
involves
limitation
and
loss.
(2)
The
injudicious
carrying
out
of
symbolism
into
inferences
not
originally
intended,
leads
into
the
opposite
error
of
irrelevant
addition.
(3)
The
scrupulous
avoidance
of
symbolism
may
itself
become
a
symbol.
(4)
The
external
form
which
illuminates,
emphasizes,
and
recalls
is
no
guarantee
of
inward
reality.
The
ceremony
of
purification
is
not
purity.
Sheep's
clothing
may
not
be
a
robe
of
innocence,
or
rent
garments
indicate
distress
of
soul.
The
cry
'Lord,
Lordl'
is
not
always
raised
by
true
discipleship.
Hence
Christ's
message
to
the
Samaritan
woman
concerning
true
worship,
and
His
frequent
protests
against
the
ceremonial
insincerities
of
the
Pharisees.
The
condemnation
of
image-worship
turned
upon
the
total
inadequacy
of
symbol
to
represent
God.
It
might
indicate
man's
thought
of
God,
but
it
left
untouched
the
constituent
element
of
true
religion,
God's
thought
of
man.
'Eyes
have
they,
but
they
see
not.'
G.
M.
Mackie.
SYNAGOGUE
SYMEON
(ct.
Simeon,
ad
init.).
—
1.
An
ancestor
of
Jesus
(Lk
3s»).
2.
A
prophet
and
teacher
at
Antioch
(Ac
13').
3.
Ac
15"=Simon
Peter
(see
Peter).
SYMMACHTJS'
VEKSION.—
See
Gr.
Versions
of
OT,
18.
SYNAGOGUE.
—
1.
Meaning
and
history.
—
Like
its
original
synagogd
(lit.
a
gathering,
assembly
—
for
its
use
in
LXX
see
Conqregation),
'synagogue'
is
used
in
NT
in
a
double
signification:
(1)
in
the
sense
of
a
community
organized
for
religious
purposes,
as
Ac
6'
9=
(cf.
Rev
2'
3»
'the
synagogue
of
Satan');
and
(2)
to
denote
the
building
in
which
the
community
met
for
worship
—
so
some
SO
times
in
the
Gospels
and
Acts
from
Mt
4^
onwards.
The
strict
Heb.
equivalent
in
the
latter
sense
is
'the
house
of
assembly.'
Of
other
names
for
the
synagogue
as
a
place
of
worship
may
be
mentioned
the
older
term
proseuchi
(Ac
16"
RV
'place
of
worship
';
Jos.
Life,
§
54,
of
the
synagogue
of
Tiberias)
The
origin
of
the
synagogue
as
a
characteristic
in-stitution
of
Judaism
is
hidden
in
obscurity.
Most
probably
it
took
its
rise
in
the
circumstances
of
the
Hebrew
exiles
in
Babylonia.
Hitherto
worship
had
practically
meant
sacrifice,
but
sacrifice
was
now
im-possible
in
a
land
unclean
(cf.
Hos
3'
9"').
There
was
still
left
to
the
exiles,
however,
the
living
word
of
the
prophet,
and
the
writings
of
God's
interpreters
from
a
former
age.
In
those
gatherings
in
the
house
of
Ezekiel
of
which
we
read
(Ezk
8'
20'
-')
we
may
perhaps
detect
the
germs
of
the
future
synagogue.
We
are
on
more
solid
ground
when
we
reach
the
religious
reform
of
Ezra
and
Nehemiah
(b.c.
444-443).
With
the
introduction
of
the
'Law
of
Moses'
as
the
norm
of
faith
and
life,
the
need
for
systematic
instruction
in
its
complex
requirements
was
evident
to
the
leaders
of
the
reform,
as
is
clear
from
Neh
S"-.
The
closing
century
of
the
Persian
rule,
b.c.
430-330,
may
therefore
be
regarded
as
the
period
of
the
rise
and
development
of
the
syna-gogue.
From
this
period,
more
precisely
from
the
reign
of
Artaxerxes
in.
Ochus
(358-337),
may
be
dated
the
only
mention
of
the
synagogue
in
OT,
viz.
Ps
74»
'they
have
burned
up
all
the
synagogues
of
God
in
the
land.'
The
papyrus
finds
of
recent
years
have
contained
not
a
few
references
to
the
synagogues
of
the
Jewish
communities
in
Egypt,
from
the
time
of
the
third
Ptolemy,
Euergetes,
b.c.
247-221,
onwards
(details
in
Schttrer,
GJV*
ii.
499
f.).
By
the
first
century
of
our
era
the
synagogue
was
regarded
as
an
institution
of
almost
immemorial
an-tiquity.
In
referring
it
back
to
Moses
himself,
Josephus
(0.
Apion.
ii.
17)
is
only
echoing
the
contemporary
belief,
which
is
also
reflected
in
the
words
of
the
Apostle
James,
'for
Moses
from
generations
of
old
hath
in
every
city
them
that
preach
him,
being
read
in
the
syna-gogues
every
sabbath'
(Ac
IS^'
RV).
For
the
wide
extent
and
historical
importance
of
the
synagogues
of
'the
Dispersion,'
see
below,
§
6.
2
.
The
synagogue
building
and
its
furniture
.-Remains,
more
or
less
extensive,
of
Jewish
synagogues
still
sur-vive
from
the
second
and
third,
more
doubtfully
from
the
first,
centuries
of
our
era,
chiefly
in
Galilee.
The
examination
of
these
remains,
first
undertaken
by
the
Palestine
Exploration
Fund
(see
Survey
of
West
Pal.
i.
224
fl.
with
plans),
has
recently
been
carried
out
more
fully
by
the
German
Orient
Society,
and
the
results
published
in
the
Society's
Mitthellungen
(Nos.
23,
27,
29
[1904,
1905]).
In
plan
and
details
of
ornamentation
these
GalUaean
synagogues
display
a
general
similarity.
■The
buildings
are
rectangular
in
shape,
and
divided
into
three
or
five
aisles
by
two
or
three
rows
of
pillars.
The
entrance
is
almost
always
in
the
south
ffont,
and
often
consists
of
a
large
main,
and
two
smaller
side,
entrances.
The
most
elaborate
was
the
synagogue
of
Capernaum,
where,
as
elsewhere,
traces
were
found
of
galleries
running
round
three
sides
of
the
central
aisled
These
were
probably
assigned
to
the
women
(for
a
