Archisynagogue (Heb. Rōš Hak-Kēnēseth «Head Of The Assembly»)

ARCHISYNAGOGUE (Hebr. rōš hak-kēnēseth “head of the assembly”). — The one who presided over the synagogues, or religious assemblies, of the Jews. Chosen from among the elders of the community, he exercised supreme supervision over everything pertaining to religious worship: he maintained order in the synagogues, presided over the services, and appointed the reader. At the invitation of the archisynagogue, Jesus spoke in the synagogue of Nazareth (Lk. 13:14). The archisynagogue probably had a council, whose members are sometimes also called “archisynagogues” (Acts 13:15). One of the notable converts won by Paul’s preaching was Crispus, the archisynagogue of Corinth (Acts 18:8). Vincenzo Cavalla