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Sanhedrin
A. Classical and Hellenistic
Greek.
1. Secular Greek. This term
means “place of assembly,” then “session,” “council,” “governing
body.”
2. Jewish-Hellenistic
Literature.
a. In the
LXX the word means
“assembly” (cf. Prov.
22:10; 26:26; Ps. 26:4).
b. Philo uses the term in both a
literal and a transferred sense (place of rest for the mind or
soul).
c. Josephus uses the term for
“assembly,” “council,” “governing body,” especially the supreme
Jewish council in Jerusalem.
B. The Jewish Sanhedrin.
1. History. Priests and
elders govern the postexilic community. Priestly nobles and
heads of clans become an aristocratic senate in Jerusalem with
the high priest as president. The Hasmoneans curtail the rights
of this body. The Pharisees achieve a place in it in 76-67 B.C.
The term synédrion first appears for it under the Roman
governor Gabinius, who sets up five synédria. The
Jerusalem council regains control of the whole land under
Caesar, and synédrion comes to be used specifically for
the Jerusalem senate. Herod packs the body with supporters, but
under the procurators it regains some influence until the
disaster of the Jewish war. Later the newly constituted
synédrion at Jabneh consists only of rabbis and has no
political functions.
2. Composition. The
Sanhedrin seems to have had 71 members (based on Num. 11:16).
The high priest as leader of the people presides. The Sadducean
chief priests form a solid faction. Alongside them are the
elders, drawn from influential lay families, who are also
Sadducean in persuasion. The scribes form a third group whose
influence steadily grows so that their agreement is needed in
important matters. Both Josephus and the
NT usually put the
chief priests first when enumerating members. With them we
find either scribes, elders, scribes and elders, or Pharisees.
Only rarely are the chief priests not mentioned (cf. Mt. 26:57),
and at times they may even represent the whole body (Mk. 14:10;
Mt. 26:59).
3. Powers. As the supreme
council the Sanhedrin governs all secular and religious matters
and has the power to try capital cases and impose sentence.
Herod takes over de facto control. After A.D. 6 the Sanhedrin
has authority only in Judea, and the Roman procurator (based in
Caesarea) has governing power. He allows the Sanhedrin to deal
only with religious matters and restricts its right to impose
the capital sentence to pagan violations of the temple
precincts. Yet the Sanhedrin does impose the death penalty in a
few other cases, including James the Lord’s brother. The
Sanhedrin reclaims the right to pass capital sentences on the
outbreak of the Jewish war, and the Zealots make gruesome use of
this power during their reign of terror.
4. Sanhedrins outside
Jerusalem. Little courts patterned on the Sanhedrin have
local jurisdiction in Palestine and the dispersion. These courts
meet twice a week and claim the right to pass death penalties,
although frequent use is discouraged, and in fact the Romans do
not permit it. The Essene fellowship exercises its own
jurisdiction, and Qumran, too, has its own penal code.
C. The NT.
1. The Gospels.
a. Sayings of Jesus. In Mt. 10:17
Jesus warns his disciples to expect persecution from the
sanhedrins, in this case the local courts, to whom they are at
first subject. In Mt. 5:21-22 those who insult others must
answer to the Sanhedrin, here the supreme court in Jerusalem.
The insulting word is just as bad as the deed of murder that
falls under the Sanhedrin’s condemnation.
b. Jesus before the Sanhedrin. The
Jerusalem Sanhedrin resolves to arrest and execute Jesus when a
favorable opportunity comes (Mk. 14:1-2; Jn. 11:47ff.). After
the arrest Jesus appears before the hastily summoned chief
priests, elders, and scribes (Mk. 14:53), and when the false
witnesses fail to make their point, the high priest puts the
question which leads to his condemnation for blasphemy (Mk.
14:61ff.). It may be noted that the proceedings at many points
do not conform to later rules (cf. the time and place of meeting
and the definition of blasphemy), but the Sadducees are not
necessarily bound by Pharisaic rulings that are in any case
later than the time of Jesus. The only serious problem arises
out of the long-standing prohibition of legal proceedings on
sabbaths and feast days and the related days of preparation.
What probably takes place is that the members of the Sanhedrin,
united in hostility to Jesus, hold a brief hearing and then hand
Jesus over to Pilate for trial and execution by the Romans as a
revolutionary. A prior interrogation also takes place in the
house of Annas (Jn. 18:12ff.), but the decisive proceedings are
before Pilate, who under pressure cooperates with the Jewish
court to secure the elimination of Jesus.
2. Acts. In Acts the
synédrion is the supreme council in Jerusalem whose
Sadducean members persecute believers, while the Pharisees are
more favorable (cf. 5:17, 34ff.). The Sanhedrin first dismisses
Peter and John with a warning (4:5ff.) and then lets them go
with a beating and a command to be silent (5:17ff.). The trial
of Stephen, however, ends with a riot and stoning (6:8-8:1).
When Paul has to answer to the Sanhedrin in 23:1ff., he causes
dissension and gains the support of the Pharisees. The Romans
protect Paul from any further appearance before the Sanhedrin
(23:26ff.). Since he is a Roman citizen, the Sanhedrin must
accuse him before the procurator.
D. The Apostolic Fathers.
Only Ignatius uses synédrion, and in each of the three
instances in his epistles it simply means “council” (Magnesians
6.1; Trallians 3.1; Philadelphians 8.1). [E.
Lohse, VII, 860-71]
[2]
[2]Kittel, G., Friedrich,
G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995, c1985). Theological
dictionary of the New Testament. Translation of:
Theologisches Worterbuch zum Neuen Testament. (Page 1115).
Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans.
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