C. VITRINGA

ON THE

ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE

THREE BOOKS

Exodus 33, verse 7

This biblical verse describes Moses pitching the "Tabernacle of the Congregation" outside the camp, where everyone who sought the Lord would go. Vitringa uses this as a scriptural foundation for the concept of a dedicated place for assembly and worship.

A faint, mirrored copperplate engraving depicts a scene in an ancient classical setting. Under a monumental Roman arch with a coffered ceiling, a figure, likely a high priest or elder, is seated on an elevated throne or dais, surrounded by other seated figures. In the foreground to the right, two men in long classical robes stand together. One gestures as if in explanation or debate. In the background, beyond a wall, another classical building with a pediment is visible. The scene is a historical visualization of an assembly in an ancient synagogue.

Published in Franeker, by Johannes Gyselaar, 1696.