Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first synagogues emerged in the Jewish diaspora probably after the Babylonian Exile of Judaea in 586 BCE. Evidence points to their existence as early as the Hellenistic period, notably in Alexandria, Ptolemaic Egypt. The earliest archaeological evidence for the existence of synagogues is stone dedication inscriptions from the third century BCE.
The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE marked a pivotal moment that solidified the synagogue's role as the focal point of Jewish worship. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai advocated for the establishment of individual houses of worship since the Temple was no longer accessible. For Jews living in the wake of the Revolt, the synagogue functioned as a portable system of worship where prayer replaced sacrifice.
The façade of the Samaritan synagogue typically faces Mount Gerizim, which is the holiest site to Samaritans, while Jewish synagogues are oriented towards Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Samaritans historically adhered more strictly to the commandment forbidding the creation of any graven image and would not use any depictions of man or beast. A representation of Mount Gerizim is a clear indication of Samaritan identity.
The largest synagogue in the world is the Great Beth Midrash Gur in Jerusalem, Israel, whose main sanctuary seats up to 20,000. Construction on the edifice took more than 25 years. The Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary, is the largest synagogue in Europe by square footage and number of seats, seating 3,000.
The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, in India. It was built in 1568 by the Paradesi community in the Kingdom of Cochin. Paradesi is a word used in several Indian languages, and the literal meaning of the term is foreigners.
The Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, is the oldest Jewish house of worship in North America that is still standing. It was built in 1759 for the Jeshuat Israel congregation, which was established in 1658. The synagogue serves as a historic landmark of early American Jewish life.