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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] To Harold: Tanach book order - different in Christian Bibles
  • Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 17:02:41 -0500

Dear Shoshanna,

So was the Sanhedrin not the Supreme court? Presided over by judges and wise men and even sometimes prophets?


HH: Yes, in its time, the Sanhedrin functioned as the supreme court. Peter has already mentioned that there is no indication of a Sanhedrin through the historical books. We cannot just assume it existed. Moses appointed elders to assist him because he felt overwhelmed:

Num. 11:14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
Num. 11:15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
Num. 11:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
Num. 11:17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

HH: This was not necessarily an enduring institution. God did not necessarily put His Spirit on any others later. These men were to help Moses. Of course the tribal elders were always important. They appear often in the historical narratives. The governmental structure in Israel changed drastically quite a number of times. There is no hint of a Sanhedrin during the period of the Judges, unless you want to identify the elders of the assembly with the Sanhedrin:

Judg. 21:16 And the elders of the assembly said, “With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left?

HH: These seem to be the tribal elders gathered in a crisis. Later there are kings, who appoint people to chief offices. The king himself becomes the last court of appeal. Still there are tribal elders, but we do not see them functioning as a Sanhedrin.

HH: The main point is that Scripture says nothing about anybody qualifying prophets, who obtained their authority directly from God. They usually spoke to criticize authority and so had to be outside the authority structure to some degree, not completely dependent on it.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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