Sanhedrim

Sanhedrim (from a Greek word for Council) was the supreme court of the Jews in matters both civil and ecclesiastica1, and existed in the time of the Maccabees and in the days of the New Testament. It was modelled on the Mosaic Council, and consisted of a President and seventy members, its members being chosen from among chief priests, elders, and scribes. In the days of Roman ascendency the Sanhedrim could not inflict sentence of death without consent of the Governor. The seat of meeting was afterwards removed to Tiberias. In 1806 Napoleon I. summoned a Sanhedrim to regulate the affairs of the Jews.