How was the Sanhedrin Formed?

The Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, finds its origins in the Old Testament Book of Numbers. Numbers 11:  16  And the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.  17  And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. At the time Moses was the only judge of the people but the job had grown too large for one man to do alone. Thus the Sanhedrin came into being 70 elders plus Moses to make a total of 71 members. When Moses died his seat, his office, as teacher of the law, was called the “Moses Seat,” or the presidential seat.

The Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, finds its origins in the Old Testament Book of Numbers.

Numbers 11:  16  And the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 

17  And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit which

is upon you and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

At the time Moses was the only judge of the people but the job had grown too large for one man to do alone.

Thus the Sanhedrin came into being 70 elders plus Moses to make a total of 71 members.

When Moses died his seat, his office, as teacher of the law, was called the “Moses Seat,” or the presidential seat.

In the United States we have the more powerful Supreme Court placed in a position of authority over the regional Federal Courts. This was true of the “Great Sanhedrin,” the 71, in relationship to the “Small Sanhedrin,” the smaller courts of 23. The “Great Sanhedrin” resided in Jerusalem and the “Small Sanhedrin,” resided in towns outside of Jerusalem. How were the members of the Small Sanhedrin chosen? In Numbers 35:24-25 one congregation is identified as Judge and a second congregation the deliverer of the accused. How do we know the size of a congregation? In Numbers 13 Moses sent out one man from each of the tribes of Israel to spy out the Promised Land.

In the United States we have the more powerful Supreme Court placed in a position of authority over the regional Federal Courts.

This was true of the “Great Sanhedrin,” the 71, in relationship to the “Small Sanhedrin,” the smaller courts of 23.

The “Great Sanhedrin” resided in Jerusalem and the “Small Sanhedrin,” resided in towns outside of Jerusalem.

How were the members of the Small Sanhedrin chosen?

In Numbers 35:24-25 one congregation is identified as Judge and a second congregation the deliverer of the accused.

How do we know the size of a congregation?

In Numbers 13 Moses sent out one man from each of the tribes of Israel to spy out the Promised Land.

Caleb and Joshua return with a positive report and that demonstrates their faith in God. The other 10, identified by God as a congregation, deliver a negative report which demonstrated their lack of faith in God’s ability to deliver the land into their hands. Since we need two congregations in the small court that would indicate 20 men. Two more members are derived from Ex. 23:2 which explicitly states, “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil,” and thus implicitly indicates a “multitude to do good.” Thus we have two more members added to the twenty. The Mishnah tells us, “There cannot be a court of an even number of members [Twenty-Two] another member must be added.”

Caleb and Joshua return with a positive report and that demonstrates their faith in God.

The other 10, identified by God as a congregation, deliver a negative report which demonstrated their lack of faith in God’s ability to deliver the land into their hands.

Since we need two congregations in the small court that would indicate 20 men.

Two more members are derived from Ex. 23:2 which explicitly states, “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil,” and thus implicitly indicates a “multitude to do good.” Thus we have two more members added to the twenty.

The Mishnah tells us, “There cannot be a court of an even number of members [Twenty-Two] another member must be added.”

The Talmud a book of Jewish tradition, indicates that to become a member of the Sanhedrin a person had to be tall in order to command respect, they needed knowledge of sorcery, and to be a chief priest, scribe or elder. The Talmud also tells us that by the time of the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD there was a comprehensive system of judicial Courts throughout Israel to decide questions of religious practice, offenders of the law, and to settle disputed claims. Prior to the time of Herod and the Roman occupation, the Sanhedrin’s rulings effected all Israelites no matter where they lived. Both Herod and the Romans severely diminished the Sanhedrin's world wide authority and limited it to the land of Israel. The word “Sanhedrin” isn’t used in the Christian Bible it is replaced with the word, “council.” It is however found in the Greek translations.

The Talmud a book of Jewish tradition, indicates that to become a member of the Sanhedrin a person had to be tall in order to command respect, they needed knowledge of sorcery, and to be a chief priest, scribe or elder.

The Talmud also tells us that by the time of the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD there was a comprehensive system of judicial Courts throughout Israel to decide questions of religious practice, offenders

of the law, and to settle disputed claims.

Prior to the time of Herod and the Roman occupation, the Sanhedrin’s rulings effected all Israelites no matter where they lived.

Both Herod and the Romans severely diminished the Sanhedrin's world wide authority and limited it to the land of Israel.

The word “Sanhedrin” isn’t used in the Christian Bible it is replaced with the word, “council.” It is however found in the Greek translations.

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