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sanhedrim

sanhedrim


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sanhedrin  \San"he*drin\,  Sanhedrim  \San"he*drim\,  n.  [Heb. 
  sanhedr[=i]n,  fr  Gr  ?;  ?  with  +  ?  a  seat,  fr  ?  to  sit  See 
  {Sit}.]  (Jewish  Antiq.) 
  the  great  council  of  the  Jews,  which  consisted  of  seventy 
  members,  to  whom  the  high  priest  was  added.  It  had 
  jurisdiction  of  religious  matters. 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Sanhedrim 
  more  correctly  Sanhedrin  (Gr.  synedrion),  meaning  "a  sitting 
  together,"  or  a  "council."  This  word  (rendered  "council,"  A.V.) 
  is  frequently  used  in  the  New  Testament  (Matt.  5:22;  26:59;  Mark 
  15:1,  etc.)  to  denote  the  supreme  judicial  and  administrative 
  council  of  the  Jews,  which  it  is  said  was  first  instituted  by 
  Moses,  and  was  composed  of  seventy  men  (Num.  11:16,  17).  But 
  that  seems  to  have  been  only  a  temporary  arrangement  which  Moses 
  made  This  council  is  with  greater  probability  supposed  to  have 
  originated  among  the  Jews  when  they  were  under  the  domination  of 
  the  Syrian  kings  in  the  time  of  the  Maccabees.  The  name  is  first 
  employed  by  the  Jewish  historian  Josephus  This  council"  is 
  referred  to  simply  as  the  "chief  priests  and  elders  of  the 
  people"  (Matt.  26:3,  47,  57,  59;  27:1,  3,  12,  20,  etc.),  before 
  whom  Christ  was  tried  on  the  charge  of  claiming  to  be  the 
  Messiah.  Peter  and  John  were  also  brought  before  it  for 
  promulgating  heresy  (Acts.  4:1-23;  5:17-41);  as  was  also  Stephen 
  on  a  charge  of  blasphemy  (6:12-15),  and  Paul  for  violating  a 
  temple  by-law  (22:30;  23:1-10). 
 
  The  Sanhedrin  is  said  to  have  consisted  of  seventy-one 
  members,  the  high  priest  being  president.  They  were  of  three 
  classes  (1)  the  chief  priests,  or  heads  of  the  twenty-four 
  priestly  courses  (1  Chr.  24),  (2)  the  scribes,  and  (3)  the 
  elders.  As  the  highest  court  of  judicature,  "in  all  causes  and 
  over  all  persons,  ecclesiastical  and  civil,  supreme,"  its 
  decrees  were  binding,  not  only  on  the  Jews  in  Palestine,  but  on 
  all  Jews  wherever  scattered  abroad.  Its  jurisdiction  was  greatly 
  curtailed  by  Herod,  and  afterwards  by  the  Romans.  Its  usual 
  place  of  meeting  was  within  the  precincts  of  the  temple,  in  the 
  hall  "Gazith,"  but  it  sometimes  met  also  in  the  house  of  the 
  high  priest  (Matt.  26:3),  who  was  assisted  by  two 
  vice-presidents.