Psalm 5:7

"As for me, in the abundance of your loving-kindness
I shall come into your house,
I shall bow down toward your holy temple in fear of you"
-Psalm 5:7

When Solomon inaugurated the newly built temple in Jerusalem he indicated that when a person prayed to Jehovah they would pray toward the temple. Since Jehovah's name rested on the temple by positioning facing His house they were in affect praying before Him.

"And you must turn toward the prayer of your servant and to his request for favor, O Jehovah my God, to listen to the entreating cry and to the prayer with which your servant is praying before you today; that your eyes may prove to be opened toward this house night and day, toward the place of which you said, ‘My name will prove to be there,’ to listen to the prayer with which your servant prays toward this place. you must listen to the request for favor on the part of your servant and of your people Israel with which they pray toward this place; and may you yourself hear at the place of your dwelling, in the heavens, and you must hear and forgive." - 1 Kings 8:28-30

Even after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 by the Babylonians captives like the prophet Daniel were in the habit of praying toward where the temple once stood.

"But Daniel, as soon as he knew that the writing had been signed, entered into his house, and, the windows in his room chamber being open for him toward Jerusalem, even three times in a day he was kneeling on his knees and praying and offering praise before his God as he had been regularly doing prior to this." - Daniel 6:10

It was in Babylon that the synagogue arrangement of worship and instruction was developed in absence of having a temple available. Synagogues were situated in such a way that those there faced toward Jerusalem - a tradition that has exists today.

"The Ark in a synagogue is positioned in such a way that those who face it, face towards Jerusalem. Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally face east, while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face towards Jerusalem. Occasionally synagogues face other directions for structural reasons, in which case the community may turn to face Jerusalem when standing for prayers." - Wikipedia; Synagogue