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While we shouldn't read too much of talmudic/rabbinic Judaism back into temple era practices, I will certainly admit to uncertainty about the precise usage of the Moses' seat, and spoke primarily from a recollection of a particular lecture by an archaeologist at a BAS seminar several years ago. He was talking about the recent archeology of the Galilean towns of Bethsaida and Chorazin, which would have been late '80s and early '90s. Several authorities affirm as you have concluded that the norm for reading the scriptures in the synagogue was to stand and read, as also in the examples you cited. Some say the tradition of Moses' seat arises from Ex 18:13, 15-16, where Moses sat to render judgments and teach the law. The seat was apparently usually located next to the ark where the scrolls were kept. Perhaps the occupant of the seat discussed the Torah passage after it was read. It is perhaps unrelated, but I think perhaps not completely, and I connect my first knowledge of this to the same lecture mentioned above, that in the ancient temple era synagogue there is no indication that priests or Levites had any special role at all. However, in rabbinic Judaism, it is customary to give preference for the oral reading of the Torah to a cohen (cohen is Hebrew for priest), a member with the surname Cohen or Cowen or Kohn, etc,, or if no cohen is in the synagogue, then preference falls to a Levi... But that pertains specifically to the Torah, and the pronouncement of the priestly blessing, and not all of the Hebrew scriptures (see http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9024666/cohen ) Relating specifically to Moses' seat, below are a couple of brief pieces from BAR magazine, the ISBE, and a website dealing with Chorazin. 1. In 1926 a unique stone seat was found near the southern wall of the Chorazin synagogue. Since then it has been called the “Chair of Moses.” The Chair of Moses is a special seat that is used in some synagogues, even today, on certain occasions, usually located near the most important wall, that which faces Jerusalem.
On the Chair of Moses was inscribed in Aramaic: “Remember for good Yudan the son of Ishmael who made this stvh and its steps; may he take part with the pious.” Stvh has been understood as the Greek word stoa (v [vov] and h [he] are so-called matres lectiones, or consonants used as vowels. The Hebrew letter vov was used for a long o and the Hebrew letter he for a short a). A stoa is a portico supported by columns. Another interpretation of this work was published by Jacob N. Epstein in 1930 in a paper on the inscription on the Chair of Moses. According to his view, and ours, stvh refers to the Hebrew or Aramaic word istava which means a shelf, a platform or a small roofed and decorated dais (bema, plural bemot) on which the chair probably rested and from which the scriptures were read or chanted. A small replica of this bema was found on a frieze fragment.
Editor, H. S. 2004; 2004. BAR 13:05 (Sep/Oct 1987). Biblical Archaeology Society 2. MOSES' SEAT
Many claim that Jesus was referring to a familiar piece of furniture in ancient synagogues and identify the stone chairs excavated from synagogues in Hammath by Tiberias and in Chorazin as the Moses' seat (see Sukenik). With their backs toward Jerusalem the elders of the synagogue sat facing the people. The most prominent elder sat in the stone seat on a raised platform next to the ark containing the OT scrolls. From here, it is supposed, teachers expounded the Mosaic law. This seat symbolized their authority as interpreters of the law in unbroken succession from Moses. The earliest reference to Moses' seat in rabbinic literature appears in Pesikta de Rab Kahana 7 b where Rabbi Aha (ca. A.D. 320) referred to a seat of special shape, like the throne of Solomon (1 Kings 10:19), that was reserved for the president of the Sanhedrin.
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved.) 3. http://www.nd.edu/~daune/near_east_arch/chorazin/chorazin.htm
The seat of Moses is the place where the rabbi or another speaker, would sit and discuss the torah and haphtarah readings of the day.
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