Sanhedrin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Sanhedrin was a group of judges who led the Jewish people of every city in the Land of Israel. Their name is Greek and means "council" or "assembly." There were between twenty-three and seventy-one judges in each Sanhedrin. According to the Hebrew Bible, God commanded Moses and the Israelites to make councils of judges and to do what they said.

The Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem led the other councils. It met every day except on holidays and Shabbat. After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, the Great Sanhedrin moved to Galilee. It made its last law in 358 CE when it abandoned the Hebrew calendar. It stopped meeting because of persecution. Some people have tried to bring it back, such as Napoleon Bonaparte. These attempts have not been successful so far.

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