greek synhedrion seated set. It was the highest court of the Jews, dating from the 2nd century BC. C. It was made up of seventy-one members, presided over by a high priest. Its components belonged to the priestly aristocracy and the nobility. In the times of the Maccabees it was called “Senate of the nation”, 1 M 12, 6; “Senate of the Jews”, 2 M 11, 27. Despite the above, the rabbis put their origins in the Mosaic era, whence the number of their members, when Yahweh commanded Moses: “Assemble for me seventy elders of Israel, of those you know to be elders and scribes of the people. Take them to the Tent of Meeting and let them be there with you. I’ll go down to talk to you; I will take part of the spirit that is in you and I will put it in them, so that they carry with you the burden of the people and you do not have to carry it alone† , Nm 11, 16-17. But, in the judicial reform of King Josaphat, a supreme court was established in Jerusalem, a central jurisdiction next to the local jurisdiction, 2 Cro 19, 8; this court exercised judicial functions, while the s. later it also had legislative and executive functions. All these cases can be antecedents of the s., as well as the authorities that were established after the return from captivity in Babylon, at the time of the Persian monarchs, as we read in Ezra: “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which you possess, establish scribes and judges who administer justice to all the people of Transeuphratina, to all who know the Law of God. To those who ignore it, you will have to teach it. And to everyone who does not comply with the king’s law, apply rigorous justice: death, exile, fine in money or jail† , Ezra 7, 25-26. The words. sometimes it is used to refer to any judicial instance, the simple courts existing throughout the country, small provincial Sanhedrins, as opposed to the Great S., based in Jerusalem; Mt 5, 22; 10, 17; Mk 13, 9. Before the Great S., Jesus appeared, Mk 14, 55; the apostles Peter and John, Acts 4, 15; the apostle Paul, Acts 23, 28.
Being the supreme court of Judea at the time of the Roman domination, from 63 a. C. until 70 of our era, when it ceased to exist, the S. was deprived by the Empire of the right of life or death; the sentences of the S. that imposed capital punishment had to be approved by the prosecutor, Jn 18, 31, as happened with Jesus.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(Heb., Talmudic transcription of Gr. synedrion, a council). It was the highest Jewish court during the Greek and Roman periods (RVR-1960 †œcouncil† ). During the reign of the Hellenic kings, Palestine was practically autonomous and was governed by an aristocratic council of elders, which was presided over by the hereditary high priest. The council was called a gerousia, which always means an aristocratic body. This later became the Sanhedrin. During most of the time of the Roman period, the internal government of the country was practically in his hands, and his influence was recognized even in the diaspora (Acts 9:2; Acts 22:5; Acts 26:12).
After the death of Herod the Great, however, and during the reign of Archelaus and the Roman procurators, the civil authority of the Sanhedrin was probably restricted to Judea, and this is probably why it had no judicial authority over Jesus in Judea. so long that he remained in Galilee. The Sanhedrin was abolished after the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD).
The members of the Sanhedrin were chosen from among the three classes mentioned in Mat 16:21; Matt 27:41; Tue 8:31; Mar 11:27; Mar 14:43, Mar 14:53; Mark 15:1; Luke 9:22; Luk 22:66 : the elders of the people, the chief priests, and the scribes. By chief priests is meant the acting high priest, those who had been high priests, and members of the privileged families from which the high priests were taken. The priestly aristocracy comprised the leading people in the community and they were the main members of the Sanhedrin. The teachers of the law formed the Pharisaic element in the Sanhedrin, although not all Pharisees were professional scribes. The elders were the tribal and family leaders of the people and priesthood, primarily the secular nobility of Jerusalem. The president carried the honorable title of prince. In addition to the president, there were subordinate officials (Mat 5:25; Mat 26:51; Mar 14:47; Joh 18:10). According to Josephus, at the time of Christ, the Sanhedrin was presided over by the Sadducean high priests, but practically ruled by the Pharisees, who were immensely popular with the people (Antig. 18.1.4).
At the time of Christ, the Sanhedrin exercised not only civil, but also criminal jurisdiction. He could deal with all those judicial matters of an administrative nature that could not be fully dealt with by lower courts, or that the Roman procurator had not reserved for himself. It was the final court of appeal for all matters related to the Mosaic law. He could issue warrants for his own bailiffs (Mat 26:47; Mar 14:43; Act 4: 3; Act 5: 17-18; Act 9: 2). It was also the court of last resort for all lower courts. He had the right to impose capital punishment until around 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem. After that, he could still impose, but not execute, a death sentence without the confirmation of the Roman procurator. That was the reason why Jesus had to be judged not only by the Sanhedrin, but also by Pilate (John 18:31-32). But for this, he would have been put to death in some other way than by crucifixion, because crucifixion was not a Jewish mode of punishment. Roman authority was, however, always absolute, and the procurator or tribune of the garrison could order the Sanhedrin to investigate some matter and could remove a prisoner from its jurisdiction, as was done in the case of Paul (Act 22: 30; Acts 23:23-24).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(council).
The highest Jewish court, made up of the Supreme Pontiff, who was the President, and 70 members. In Jesus’ time he had no authority to impose the death penalty: (Jua 18:31-32, Mt.16:Mat 16:21, 17:Mat 26:47, Mat 27:41, Mar 8:31, Mar 11 :27, Mar 14:43, Lk.Lk.9:22, Acts 4:3, Acts 5:17, Acts 9:2).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
The S. is not an institution of the OT, although some precedents of it can be pointed out. Moses instituted by divine order a council of seventy elders of Israel (Num 11:16). The rabbis have always argued that this is the origin of the S. However, we read that King Jehoshaphat set “in Jerusalem some of the Levites and priests, and of the fathers of the families of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah and for the causes† (2Ch 19:8). Something similar was done in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 5:5; Ezra 10:8; Neh 2:16; Neh 5:7; Neh 7:5). There is news that in the time of Antiochus there was a gerousia or council of elders. But the S. proper was a collegiate body that exercised the supreme authority in political, religious and judicial matters in Israel during the Roman occupation. The first to use the term, outside of the NT, is Josephus, who informs us that in 57 BC Gabinus divided the territory of Israel into five synedria, each with a synodoi, for purposes of administration in civil affairs, since the The Romans were careful not to interfere with the religion of the peoples they conquered. But the issue seems to have evolved to include religious matters, although theoretically only in the larger cases, such as judging a high priest or a false prophet. In a short time the one from Jerusalem had the preponderance.
It consisted of seventy-one people, all of great importance, including leading nobles, priests, and scribes. The high priest presided over it. Years before the trial of the Lord Jesus, Herod the Great had killed about forty-five members of the S., and had replaced them with people affected by him. The jurisdiction of the S. at the time of the trial of the Lord Jesus was restricted to Judea in strictly legal terms. But his moral influence went further, reaching Jewish communities wherever they were. That is why they gave Saul “powers” to go to Damascus to persecute the Christians (Acts 9:2).
four different trials celebrated by the S. are described in the Bible: 1. That of the Lord Jesus (Mar 14:53). 2. That of Peter and John (Acts 4:3-6). 3. Stephen’s (Acts 6:12; Acts 7:1-60). 4. Paul’s (Acts 23:1-10). The S. had no authority to pass death sentences. these had to be confirmed by the Roman procurator, for which there was a need to resort to Pilate in the case of the Lord Jesus (Joh 18:31). If this was not done in the case of Stephen, it was because there was an outbreak of violence (Acts 7:57).
Through the Jewish traditions collected in the Mishnah, the procedures used in the trials are known. For a quorum to be present, about twenty-three members were needed. The meetings were held in a known place in the †¢temple, but never on a holiday or at night, an exception being made in the case of the Lord. The members of the council sat in a semicircle so that their faces could be seen. In front of them were several rows of seats for the disciples of the sages. In the middle was the accused, who had to dress humbly or in mourning. It gave rise first to the defense and then to the accusation. The students or disciples could speak in favor of the accused, never against, unless it was a case that did not involve capital punishment, when they could do so in any way. The release sentences had to be issued the same day, but the death sentences the day after the hearing.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, CONS
vet, (Heb. “talmudic”, derived from the gr. “synedrion”: council, tribunal). Jewish governmental body. The Persians gave the Jews the right to judge their own disputes (Ezra 7:25, 26; 10:14). The fall of the Persian empire did not mean the loss of this privilege. There was a governing council called the “gerousia,” or senate (Ant. 12:3, 3), a kind of national assembly (1 Macc. 12:6); it was made up of elders (cf. 1 Mac. 14:20). This council represented the Jewish nation (1 Macc. 12:3) and joined with Jonathan, the high priest, in making an offensive alliance with Sparta. Jonathan summoned the elders to discuss with them the construction of fortresses in Judea and the strengthening of the walls of Jerusalem (1 Mac. 12:35; cf. 13:36; 14:20, 28 and 47). Under Gabinus, proconsul of Syria (57-55 BC), Judea was divided into 5 districts, each depending on…