GREAT SYNAGOGUE - In the Mishnah (Avot, I, 1) it is stated that representatives of the genuine Jewish tradition were Moses, the elders chosen by him, the prophets, the "men of the g. s." (anšé kênêseth hag-gêdhôlâh), then Simon the Just and his successors. From the text it would appear that the g. s. was the connecting link between ancient prophetism and the first pairs of the famous sages (Joshua ben Jô'ezer, Joshua ben Jôhânân, etc.).
In the same text three maxims of the men of the g. s. are reported: 1) be cautious in judging; 2) procure for yourselves many disciples; 3) place a fence around the Law. It is the program of the most genuine Pharisaism. Later a legislative activity was also attributed to them, until in Bâbâd' Bâthrâ' 15a they were pointed out as the authors of the following books: Ezekiel, the 12 minor prophets, Daniel, Esther. So that the link might appear more evident, even the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi were considered members of the g. s.
Although even in rather recent times (S. Krauss, H. Englander) the g. s. was still presented as the supreme national-religious organism at the time of the Persian domination, it is now commonly held that this is a pure legend, arisen perhaps under the influence of Neh. 8-10. According to Bickerman the expression 'anšé kênêseth hag-gêdhôlâh would be equivalent to bêné hag-gôlâh ("sons of the deportation", "exiles"). These returned from Mesopotamia and brought about "the great gathering". This generation constituted the connecting link between the last prophets and Simon the Just and Antigonus of Socho, since according to a rabbinic chronology only 52 years would have elapsed between Cyrus and Alexander the Great.
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Angelo Penna