Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / November 13, 2021
By Javier Navarro, on Feb. 2019
In the context of Judaism prior to the birth of Christ, the Sanhedrin was a court of law and at the same time a legislative body that passed laws. However, its main mission consisted in the interpretation of the laws taking as reference the book sacred to the Jews, the Torah. The Hebrew term Sanhedrin literally means to sit together or council.
Is institution represented the maximum authority of the Jewish people in the time of Pontius Pilate during the administration of Rome in the territory of Judea. The Roman authorities limited the power of this body, so certain sentences had to be endorsed by the Roman governor.
The Sanhedrin consisted of seventy-one people, thus recalling the seventy elders who supported Moses plus Moses himself
Its members came from the priestly nobility and the most notable families (the high priests were Sadducees and the scholars were Pharisees in their great majority). This institution was formed around the 5th or 4th century BC. C during the Persian rule. It should be noted that the appointment of judges in the
tradition Hebrew is ordered in the book of Exodus. This institution ceased to exist in the fourth century AD. C.In the 1st century BC. C Judea was ruled by Herod the Great, who decided to kill half the members of the Sanhedrin, as his representatives reminded him of the limits of the sovereign's power (the Roman monarch imposed more submissive members and from then on this body was weakened considerably).
Jesus of Nazareth appeared before the council of the Sanhedrin
The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth generated an intense debate among the Jews and for this reason he was brought before the tribunal of the Sanhedrin to explain his doctrine. The testimonies that were presented against Jesus were contradictory and for this reason the high priest (Caiaphas) asked him if he really was the authentic Christ, the true Messiah. Jesus answered in the affirmative and such an answer was considered blasphemy.
The meeting of Jesus before the members of the supreme court of the Jews was not a trial in the strict sense, but it is considered a key episode to understand the accusations that finally condemned him to the crucifixion. In this sense, he was accused of desecrating the Temple of Jerusalem and of not complying with the law bean. After a brief period of initial hesitation, the Roman governor in Judea (Pontius Pilate) agreed to have Jesus crucified.
Beyond the religious context of Judaism
The word Sanhedrin is also used in the context of the politics to refer to small power groups that meet to make relevant decisions. In the political sphere, the Hebrew term is used to refer to a council of experts that has the ability to make important decisions.
Photo Fotolia: Renata Sedmakova
Themes in Sanhedrin