Sanhedrin• The first Sanhedrin was an

assembly of 23 people, one for each of the lands in Biblical Israel.

• Later on the Great Sanhedrin was comprised of 71 members.

• The Great Sanhedrin had a Nasi, which was sometimes the Cohen Gadol, a vice president, and 69 regular members.

• The Sanhedrin had the power of a Biblical Supreme Court. They had authority over the lesser Jewish Courts, but were still ruled by the Cohen Gadol until 191 B.C.E.

Lost Authority• After 191 B.C.E. the Sanhedrin lost

faith in the Cohen Gadol’s judgement and they created the role of Nasi.

• The Nasi was most often a descendant of Hillel.

• The only tiime that the Great Sanhedrin and the Lesser Sanhedrin met is to discuss matters of National importance.

• After the destruction of the Second Temple the Sanhedrin moved to Yavneh.

The End of the Sanhedrin• The Sanhedrin really fell apart

during the time of the Roman persecution of Israel.

• Gamliel VI was the last Nasi of the Sanhedrin, with his death in 425 C.E. the Romans decreed that the title Nasi was illegal, therefore, stripping the Sanhedrin of its powers.