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Jewish rituals underwent substantive change following the destruction of the Second Temple and the discontinuation of the animal sacrifices that had been offered there. The synagogue, which since then has been called a small sanctuary, became a place where members of the community gathered and led their spiritual and social lives. The architecture of the synagogues during that period was influenced by hellenist culture. That influence also extended to prayers, which in some synagogues were recited in Greek.
