The Jewish High Council

The high council of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had significant power in governing the Jewish people. It is traditionally called the Sanhedrin, a transliteration of the Greek word sunedrion, which means "council."

Jewish tradition says the Sanhedrin began when Moses chose seventy elders (Numbers 11:16). However, the earliest reference is in Josephus's Antiquities 12.3.3, from the time of Antiochus the Great, from 223 to 187 BC. The Sanhedrin likely started as a self-governing group of leaders under Persian rule (see Ezra 5:5–10; Nehemiah 2:16). The priestly class, led by the high priest, controlled the high council. Roman rulers and the Pharisees influenced these priests to different extents. Herod the Great had a strong influence over the Sanhedrin's activities.

The Sanhedrin dealt with the legal and religious matters of Judaism. This included making judicial decisions not settled in smaller courts, known as "local sanhedrins," as well as managing criminal justice and arrests (see Acts 9:1–2). They also made official decisions on Jewish issues, although these decisions were not enforceable. The Sanhedrin could not execute criminals on its own (John 18:31), but it could do so with Roman approval.

The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 ended the high council's role as the leader of Judaism.

Passages for Further Study

Matthew 26:57–68; Mark 14:53–65; 15:1, 43; Luke 22:66–71; 23:50–54; John 11:47–53; Acts 5:21–41; 6:11–8:1; 22:30–23:10; 23:26–30