Who were the Sanhedrin?

Answer 1

Sanhedrin

The highest judicial and ecclesiastical council of the ancient Jewish nation, composed of from 70 to 72 members.

"Jewish council that operated in Roman Palestine from the time of the Maccabees (c. 165 BC) to the end of the patriarchate (AD 425). While the term refers to the supreme Jewish court, the Sanhedrin's exact composition and powers - religious, judicial, and legislative - are reported variously in different sources. It is mentioned in various books of The Bible (Mark, Luke, Acts) as having taken part in or adjudicated the trials of Jesus, St. Peter the Apostle, and St. John the Baptist. According to Talmudic sources, the Great Sanhedrin was a court of 71 sages that met on fixed occasions in the Temple of Jerusalem, acting as a religious legislative body, trial court, and administrator of rituals. " ~Answers.com The Sanhedrin was located in Jerusalem.

Its members included: the High Priest and former High Priests; members of the priestly line; community elders and heads of tribes and families, all being knowledgeable and experienced in the Jewish Law.

The Bible makes reference to the Sanhedrin e.g. Mark 14:55. At one trial of the Apostles it was noted that the members were made up of Pharisees and the Sadducees - Acts 5:21; 23:36. Local synagogues were also known sometimes as 'local sanhedrins' in that they had legal powers to carry out scourgings and to declare excommunications e.g. Matthew 10:17

See 'Related Links' for more inaccurate information.

Answer 2

They were the Israelite high court of Torah-law.

The smaller Sanhedrins had 23 members and existed in every Jewish city. The high Sanhedrins had 71 members, and here were several of these.The Sanhedrin goes back to the time of Moses, when they were simply called the Elders (Exodus 5).

Note that Wikipedia (quoted in the Related Links) is a far-from-accurate source on Judaism.