If you want to know what a first century synagogue looked like in the Bible times, you're better off going to an Orthodox Church than to a 'Jewish' synagogue today, because 'Jewish' synagogues today are based on some fourth (and) fifth century stuff in eastern Europe, whereas the Orthodox Curch and its liturgy is a continuation of what was going on in the (original) Jewish synagogue - but FULFILLED IN CHRIST. The layout of the synagogue is similar to the way Orthodox Churches are laid out. The way the altar is set up with the items from the Ark Of The Covenant... ...the Ten Commandments being the Gospel book, the jar of manna being the Eucharist, and the wooden Cross being Aaron's staff. That was all those models of that in every Jewish synagogue. And the procession of coming to the altar in a Jewish temple or tabernacle is repeated with the Eucharist now. The same Psalms that were read at the beginning and during the service are read in an Orthodox liturgy today. So there really is a lot of CONTINUITY in that sense...
- Dean W. Arnold