sanhedrim

2 definitions found

sanhedrim - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Sanhedrin \San"he*drin\, Sanhedrim \San"he*drim\, n. [Heb.
     sanhedr[imac]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.
     [1913 Webster]

sanhedrim - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary :

  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.