A sample of what appears in the Real Messiah order it hereR. Judah [b Ilia] said, "Whoever has not seen the double stoa (colonnade) of Alexandria has never in his life seen the glory of Israel. It is a kind of large basilica, a stoa within a stoa, holding at times twice the number of those who left Egypt [during the Exodus]. And seventy one cathedrae of gold were there for the seventy one elders each of them worth 25 talents [of gold], and a wooden platform was in the middle. And a hazzan of the synagogue [lit. assembly] stood on it with a kerchiefs in his hand. When one took hold [of the Torah scroll] to read, he would wave the kerchiefs and they [those congregated] would answer 'Amen' for each benediction; and he would again [wave the kerchiefs] and they would [again] respond 'Amen.' And they not sit randomly but goldsmiths would sit by themselves, silversmiths by themselves, weavers by themselves, Tarsian weavers by themselves and blacksmiths by themselves. And why to such an extent [i.e. why the differentiated seating]? So that if a visitor comes he can [immediately] make contact with his trade and thus he will be able to make a living [T Sukkah 4.6]
