EKKLHSIA is the classical Attic Greek word for the assembly of free-born
male citizens; during the period of the democracy it was the fundamental
legislative and deliberative body; other words were used in other
polis-communities, including AGORA even (the Homeric word for "gathering,"
the later word for market-place). It does derive from EK-KALEW, "to call
out, summon" and so will, in fact, mean the assembly of those summoned.
At some point in the course of translation of the OT books into Greek
(those who know can better estimate approximately when) the word was used
to translate the Hebrew QAHAL, "assembly" or "congregation." It's my
understanding that EKKLHSIA became the natural NT Greek word to use for a
congregation. My impression is that the theological speculation on the
relationship of the NT word EKKLHSIA to the verb EKKALEW is really more
speculative than historical.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(704) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/