In the Jewish community,
the synagogue, directed by a group
of local elders, became the social, educational,
and religious center of the community. To be excommunicated
excluded one from the use of the
synagogue, which was a major part of
their social interaction. Claiming that Jesus
had healed their son might have been looked upon by
the leaders of the synagogue as blasphemy, an offense
worthy of excommunication.