Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

I don't know if we are having a problem with terminology - ie that 
the Torah didn't call it a "Sanhedrin"

Or a disbelief in the historic records that the Mishna and Talmud 
recorded for us, including the records of where it was moved to, 
under whose leadership, who were the heads, some of whom were Judges, 
when the heads were "pairs" - nesiim and avot beit din, etc.

We even know the NAMES of who headed various Sanhedrins.

King David, by the way, WAS a prophet, and ALSO the head of the 
Sanhedrin of his time.

What, do you think any, all or some of  these facts were made up?



Translated from the Talmud:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Talmud/sanhedrin1.html

The Great (Sanhedrin) consisted of seventy-one, and the small of 
twenty-three. Whence do we deduce that the great council must be of 
seventy-one? From [Num. xi. 16]: "Gather unto me seventy men." And 
add Moses, who was the head of them--hence seventy-one? And whence do 
we deduce that a small one, must be twenty-three? From [ibid. xxxv. 
24 and 25]: "The congregation shall judge"; "And the congregation 
shall save." 1 We see that one congregation judges, and the other 
congregation saves-hence there are twenty; as a congregation consists 
of no less than ten persons, and this is deduced from [ibid. xiv. 
27], "To this evil congregation," which was of the ten spies, except 
Joshua and Caleb. And whence do we deduce that three more are needed? 
From [Ex. xxiii. 2]: Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do 
evil"--from which we infer that you shall follow them to do good. But 
if so, why is it written at the end of the same verse, "Incline after 
the majority, to wrest judgment"? 2 This means, the inclination to 
free the man must not be similar to the inclination to condemn; as to 
condemn a majority of two is needed, while to free, the majority of 
one suffices. And a court must not consist of an even number, as, if 
their opinion is halved, no verdict can be established; therefore one 
more must be added. Hence it is of twenty-three.