New Britain herald., 1919-06-21
HOLY LAND COURT
 AND ITS METHODS
Ancient Jewish System Ql Trial
 Had Many PeCuliarItieS
(B1 Noah Ro&enthal Principal of New
 Britain Talmud TOrah.)

tSN NCdl tLOGcnl1laI, 111nCiQ9l Ol NC"
 Britain Talmud Torah.)
 On the threshold of the restoration of Palestine and the renewal of Jew iah legislature in it's old and new prayer of the Jew, "Restorn Q, Lord our Judges as ak the first" is about to bc fulfilled it is not out of order, ac- cordinG 10 my opinion, to describe the old form of government in ancient Palestine.
 The founder Of the first supreme couJI-il of the Jewish nation was no other than the law giVer and prophet, Moses. It consisted of seventN-one members (scventy elders and Moses as ihClr headD. At the time of the Jew iSh settlement after the return from the Exile of t}abvlon E.ara, the scribe, TO- established this institution under the name "Tl4~ Great Synagogue" Under the rule of the Greeks itT bore the numc Sanhcdrin from tho. Greek SyncdriuW, or Bcth-Din, "Housc. Of Judgment"
 There were two. magist racics: one which. met in the hall of hcwn stone in thos Temple Of Jcrusa lcnn, that was jnvcsfe1 WiilI tho highest religious au- thority and another which was the highest political authority. and al the &amC time tho supreme court; this alone was empowered to deal with criminal cases and 10 impose the sgn- tcncc of capital punishment. Of The last one VIC wish to speak.
 Qualifications For Membership.
 1t consisted of &cventy-one members
  bored 72D. all were chosen by the peo- plo. The qualifications for m mem ber- ship were numerous. The ap1lican mt had 70 be morally and physically hIameless tic had to be mitidlc-ag tall, good looking, learned in lam cunges as well as science, so that the senate might not he dependent upon an interpreter or expert in case of a. foreigner, foreign question or scientific problem coming before it and con fronting them. Every Jew who pos Sessed these qualities was considered q fit candidate for this office. Very old persons proselNtcs. cunuchs and ones who had no children were in- eligible: nor those who played dice. lent money on usu1N. flew pigeons to ent1ce others. or dealt in ngeduCe of the Sa ahbatiCal Yt"r. Tn addition to all these quaIifcatiops< a candidate for tho Great Sanhedrin was .reQlHrcd, first of all, to have been a fkSe in his native town; to have been Sfransferod from there to the small Sanhedrin, Ohe metropolitan one was called the Great and the provincial, consisting Of Wenty-thrce members, called the Small, whose members were appoint :, ed bN the f0r1ner). @
 The Sanhedriu was presided over bw a president called Nasi-princo and a vich president called Al Beth Din the father of the house of iudgm ent. Resides these two officials there were two Scrihos. one who registered tbe reasons for acquittal, and ths otber the reasons for Condemna ton.
 Met in Temple.
 They held their sessions fn.~one of. the chambers of the, inner. court of the temple. The Sanhedfre sat every day with the cNceptionsof the Sabbath and festivals. ..-. ~, >@
 A judge, could not sit, oh t5pdgmcnt in tho case of his relative, nor, in a case of his particular enemy. They all ways acted upon the principle that the accused was innocent .klk he could be proved guilty, Their a&iom was that the Sanhedrin lis to. Save, not to de EstraS saife.' The procedure and decjrf siohE we're in accqfdanee with tlhs motto. s~ t~& I ,. N Hence when the atpused was