The specification says that "Synchronization to the database does not involve a refresh of any managed entities unless the refresh operation is explicitly invoked on those entities." What would a refresh() do that synchronization with the database (e.g. at transaction commit time) would not? If the entities are synchronized to the database, doesn't that mean that the database and entity are the same...what, then, does a refresh() do, and in what cases should you call it? View the original post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&p=3997740#... Reply to the post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=posting&mode=reply&a...