Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin in Session - McCabe, James Dabney.

The Sanhedrin, or Great Jewish Council, sat in Jerusalem. It consisted of 71 members, including the president, referring to the 70 elders who assisted Moses. It was organized into three groups:

1. The College or chamber of priests. It was responsible for the administration of worship. It included the high priests, active or deposed. The majority of its members were Sadducees, more or less allied with the Herodians.
2. The College or chamber of scribes or doctors of the Law. It was composed of legal experts, theologians, or teachers, mostly Pharisees. They formed the learned body of the nation.
3. The College or chamber of Elders. It gathered the wealthiest notables and influential figures. They had no judicial power but served as advisors.

An echo of this classification is found in Mark 8:31: "He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes …".

Each group was composed of 23 members (totaling 69), plus the president and his deputy.

Role of the Sanhedrin at the time of Jesus

At the time of Jesus, the Sanhedrin had broad powers: domestic affairs, civil matters, but also criminal cases. The Temple police was at its disposal. It could order arrests and judge cases not requiring the death penalty; these were indeed reserved for the Romans (Jus gladii).

However, the Sanhedrin's jurisdiction was effectively limited to Judea. Galilee was outside its jurisdiction. The Great Jewish Council nevertheless represented the moral and religious authority of reference, especially due to the prominence of Jerusalem and the Temple in Judaism.

In its judgments, a simple majority was required for acquittal and a two-thirds majority for conviction. In case of doubt, the advantage always went to the accused.

Sanhedrin sessions were presided over by the Nasi, who was himself a high priest or a recognized authority. Hillel, a scribe and reputed doctor of the Law, was one of them. Shammai, his rival, succeeded him to this position.

The deputy presided over judicial sessions. However, the rules regarding the sharing of the presidency are not perfectly clarified.

The Sanhedrin is dissolved after the Passover festivals. All the Sanhedrin members (or Sanhedrists) return home for the harvest, until Pentecost (EMV 576).

Reconstruction of the Sanhedrin at the time of Christ

The composition of the Sanhedrin (Sanhédrîn) as described in the work of Maria Valtorta reveals 61 names out of 71. Seven others, although known from history, are not depicted, or at least we have not identified them. Including them, we arrive at an almost complete knowledge of the assembly: 68 out of 71. This is the most complete reconstruction existing to date.

Attitude toward Jesus

The Sanhedrists well-disposed toward Jesus: "a small number who are secretly his Disciples or who at least have the right Heart and who, if they do not love him as Disciples, respect him as righteous". They are 15 in the entire assembly, about one member out of five.

The Sanhedrists hostile to Jesus or presumed such. There are 36 in the Sanhedrin, about 51%. It is the college of priests and especially that of the scribes that are mostly opposed to Jesus. In the latter college, they represent two-thirds.

The Sanhedrists without identified opinion or who restrict themselves to neutrality. They number 19, including the three Sanhedrists unknown to date.

The College of Priests

1. Alexander (Alexandros). He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles
2. Ananias (Ananos), one of the sons of Annas. He was a Sadducee of great hardness.
3. Ananias ben Nebedai. He is known from historical sources but is not named in the work of Maria Valtorta.
4. Caiaphas (Yosef Bar Kayafa), the acting high priest, architect of Jesus's condemnation.
5. Elchias (Hilqyiyya). Treasurer of the Temple, he is the spearhead of hostility toward Jesus.
6. Eleazar (Èl'azar), eldest son of Annas, former high priest.
7. Eleazar (Èl'azar ben Boëthos), former high priest. He is a sympathizer of Jesus unlike his brother Simon below.
8. GioCana, a Sadducee. One of the associates of Judas. He has a reputation for being rapacious.
9. Annas (Hanân), former high priest. Five of his sons and his son-in-law Caiaphas were high priests in turn.
10. Ishmael (Ishma'él Ben Phabi), former high priest. He is ruthless with his servants.
11. Isaac (Is'hac). A fleeting character about whom nothing is known.
12. John, a priest. He is known from historical sources but is not named in Maria Valtorta.
13. Joazar (Yehoazar ben Boëthos), a former high priest.
14. Jonas of Gabaon (Iona). A fleeting character.
15. Jonathan (Yehonatân), one of the sons of Annas. He was chief of the Temple police.
16. Joshua (Iehoshoua ben Sié). Former high priest. A sympathizer of Jesus.
17. Matthias, one of the sons of Annas. He is known from historical sources but is not named in Maria Valtorta.
18. Sceva. A Herodian, former lover of Mary of Magdala (Magdalene). He practices necromancy. The Acts of the Apostles mention him.
19. Simon Boëthos (Shim'ôn Cantheras ben Boëthos). His two brothers (Eleazar and Joazar above) and he were high priests.
20. Simon Carmit (Shim'ôn Karmithos). A former high priest, friend of Joseph of Arimathea.
21. Theophilus (Théophilos). One of the sons of Annas. He is known from historical sources but is not named in Maria Valtorta.
22. Zechariah (Zekharyah), a Sadducee opposed to Jesus. Nothing more is known.
23. An unknown member.

The College of Scribes (sopherîms)

1. Archelaus son of Elchias. He walks without talent in the footsteps of his father, a fierce opponent of Jesus.
2. Chanania (Canania) (Chanania ben Chiskia ben Qaron). An old scribe.
3. Chanania (Hanina ben Tradion). He is known from historical sources but is not named in Maria Valtorta.
4. Eleazar, (Èl'azar ben Parta). A scribe more vehement than hostile.
5. Gamaliel (Gâmliél). The reputed Doctor of the Law. A late disciple of Jesus.
6. Johanan ben Zaccai, (Jochanan ben Zakkaï). A scribe with a hard Heart.
7. Annas, son of Nahum. He dies in the earthquake that follows Jesus's death.
8. Ismael ben Eliza. He is known from historical sources but is not named in Maria Valtorta.
9. Jacob. A late sympathizer.
10. Joel (Ioël d'Abiah, called Alamoth). A late sympathizer. His ugly appearance is the subject of mockery.
11. Jonathan (Yehonatân ben Uziel). He reproaches the Apostles The Hungry for eating ears of grain on a Sabbath day.
12. Levi. He is said to have witnessed the dialogue of the young Jesus with the Doctors of the Law.
13. Matthathias, an old scribe relative of Jacob above.
14. Nahum (Nahoum Halbalar), a trusted man of Annas. He was one of the three most renowned criminal judges of his time.
15. Sadoc (Sadoq), nicknamed the "golden scribe". A fierce opponent of Jesus. He suggests to Judas to betray his master with a Kiss.
16. Samuel (Shemouél Kakkaton or the little one). A scribe with a viper tongue, lewd and adulterous.
17. Saul (Shaoul ben Botnit). He was in charge of burial rituals.
18. Simeon (Shim'ôn), son of Gamaliel. A taciturn scribe, dominated by his father.
19. Simon (Simeon isc Hammispa). He is a parricide out of ambition and becomes insane.
20. Tolmai (Tolmé). A scribe addicted to magic.
21. Uriah (Ouryah) of Capernaum. Along with other Galilean opponents, he sets traps for Jesus.
22. Uziel (Ouriel). He wounds Jesus with a stone.
23. Zechariah (Zekharyah). A scribe opposed to Jesus. Nothing more is known.
24. Zacchaeus the scribe. Probable member. His testimony matters in the case of the paralytic healed at the Pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath day.

The College of Elders

1. Callascebona (Calba Scheboua). He was one of the three rich men of Jerusalem.
2. Cornelius (Cornelius ben Ceron). An undutiful son who curses his father.
3. Doras son of Doras. Following his father, he harbors implacable hatred toward Jesus.
4. Doro (Dorotheus ben Bartholomew (Nathaniel) the Apostle). He conspires, with others, against Jesus.
5. Elkanah, of royal blood. He is the brother of Johanna of Chuza. A late sympathizer of Jesus.
6. Eli (Èlyahou) of Capernaum. His grandson was healed from a deadly snake bite. This did not change his hostile feelings toward Jesus.
7. Elijah of Galilee. Not the one from Capernaum. He is present at Lazarus's funeral. Nothing more is known.
8. Eliel, brother of Elkanah above. Late sympathizer like him.
9. Felix. A rigorist Pharisee, hostile to Jesus.
10. John (Iohanân) of Gaas. A friend of Joseph of Arimathea. Sympathizer of Jesus.
11. Joachim (Yehoyaqîm) of Capernaum. One of the Galileans who set traps for Jesus.
12. Joachim (Yehoyaqîm). A sympathizer of Jesus.
13. Joseph of Arimathea. The disciple. He is a friend of Nicodemus and Gamaliel.
14. Joseph of Iturea (Iosseph ben Camith).
15. Jude the Sadducee (Iehouda). A sympathizer of Jesus.
16. Nathaniel ben Faba (Fada). Possibly the father of Dorotheus above. His feelings toward Jesus are divided.
17. Nicodemus (Naqdimon or Nakkaï ben Gorion). The disciple. He was very wealthy.
18. Philip (Philip ben Jacinus). A friend of Lazarus and sympathizer of Jesus.
19. Sadoc. Present at Lazarus's funeral with Sanhedrists who sympathize with Jesus.
20. Simon (Shim'ôn), the Pharisee of Capernaum. Reserved toward Jesus without being hostile.
21. Tsitsit Haccassat (Ben). Known from historical sources but not named in Maria Valtorta. He was one of the three rich men of Jerusalem.
22. Tryphon (Tryphon ben Theudion). Probably a secret sympathizer of Jesus.
23. An unknown member

- An unknown member.

Notable points

With Flavius Josephus, historian of the 1st century, and Talmudic sources, only 49 Sanhedrists are known in total. The additional 19 members thus come from the visions of Maria Valtorta. It took years to reconstruct this list, but Maria Valtorta found them spontaneously, without searching, wherever the characters appeared in the scenes she saw. Among the discoveries:

• Sceva, necromancer mentioned by the Acts of the Apostles. Former lover of Mary of Magdala (Magdalene), then depraved, adds Maria Valtorta.
• Nahum Halbalar, initially a trusted man of Annas the high priest. Maria Valtorta tells us that he turned Against him. This perhaps explains why the Talmud is discreet about his case, although he was one of the three most renowned criminal judges.
• Simon isc Hammispa, named without more in the sources mentioned. He is a parricide out of ambition according to Maria Valtorta. He became insane when he saw the ghost of his father accusing him during the earthquake following the Passion. This would justify why his life has been overlooked.
• Joel of Abia, a scribe unique to Maria Valtorta. His nickname, Alamoth, comes from the Bible: in the Psalms it is a musical direction indicating a women's choir. A reference to his voice and his appearance, mocked by his peers.

For further reading

• Palestine at the time of Jesus, Pastor Edmond Stapfer.

• Value of the Assembly that pronounced the death sentence Against Jesus Christ, Monsignors Augustin and Joseph Lemann.

The Gospel as it was revealed to me (Maria Valtorta).