While confronting the prominent theory that a major event instantly led to the formation of the Synagogue, Levine suggests that the Synagogue, in its complete and functioning form, was the product of a Jewish society, slowly incorporating Hellenistic cultural practices. In pre-Hellenistic Judea, the city gate was used for public gatherings, judicial hearings, and business transactions. This practice appears to have been a security threat to the Jewish towns. The Greeks, however, were enthralled with a more centralized public meeting place called the Agora, or a marketplace. Realizing that the Synagogue reflects the appearance of the Agora, and the fact that most of the literature using the term Synagogue dates back to the Hellenistic period, supports Levine's theory that the Synagogue was a product of Hellenistic integration over time, rather than a major occurrence jump-starting such a multi-tiered apparatus as the Synagogue was.
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In Levine's article, there is a specific time period that Levine discusses, which is also discussed by Schaper. The "Post-70 Palestinian Synagogue, according to Levine was, "rapidly developing [with] prayer liturgy. "Levine suggests that up until this time, there was no predominant religious use of the Synagogue. Schaper discusses "Post-70 while explaining Josephus' assumption to "Pharisaic predominance "being of his doing. Schaper explains, "Josephus consistently represents the Pharisees as the dominant religious group among the Jews, who had the support of the masses it is unlikely that Josephus' assumption of Pharisaic predominance is his (post-70) invention. Schaper goes on to state that it would be absurd to believe that "the Pharisees did not hold a dominant position in pre-70 Palestine. Schaper appears to answer Levine's question about post-70 Palestinian Synagogue becoming more influenced in religion. In Schaper's article, he goes on to explain how the majority of the Jewish society supported and followed the Pharisees.