The Sanhedrin​—High Court of the Jews

Although Judea was a province of the Roman Empire, Rome permitted the Jews to observe their own traditions and for the most part to govern themselves. Minor crimes and civil cases were handled by local courts, but questions that those courts could not decide were referred to the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. This body functioned as the supreme court of the Jewish people and as a national administrative council. It also had the final word on the interpretation of Jewish law, and its authority was respected by Jews everywhere.
The Sanhedrin met in its decision chamber, which appears to have been located either in the temple precincts or in its immediate vicinity. The council was made up of 71 members​—the high priest, who was the president; other priestly nobles, including Sadducees; lay aristocrats; and learned scribes. The decisions of the court were final.
Category:Sanhedrin
Category:High Court