Sanhedrim
 
 More correctly Sanhedrin (Gr. synedrion), meaning "a sitting
 together," or a "council." This word (rendered "council," A.V.) is
 frequently used in the New Testament Mt 5:22 26:59 Mr 15:1 etc. to
 denote the supreme judicial and administrative council of the Jews,
 which, it is said, was first instituted by Moses, and was composed of
 seventy men Nu 11:16,17 But that seems to have been only a temporary
 arrangement which Moses made. This council is with greater
 probability supposed to have originated among the Jews when they were
 under the domination of the Syrian kings in the time of the
 Maccabees. The name is first employed by the Jewish historian
 Josephus. This "council" is referred to simply as the "chief priests
 and elders of the people" Mt 26:3,47,57,59 27:1,3,12,20 etc., before
 whom Christ was tried on the charge of claiming to be the Messiah.
 Peter and John were also brought before it for promulgating heresy
 Ac 4:1-23 5:17-41 as was also Stephen on a charge of blasphemy 
 Ac 6:12-15 and Paul for violating a temple by-law 
 Ac 22:30 23:1-10 The Sanhedrin is said to have consisted of 
 seventy-one members, the high priest being president. They were of 
 three classes
  1. the chief priests, or heads of the twenty-four priestly courses
     1Ch 24:1ff
  2. the scribes, and
  3. the elders. As the highest court of judicature, "in all causes
     and over all persons, ecclesiastical and civil, supreme," its
     decrees were binding, not only on the Jews in Palestine, but on
     all Jews wherever scattered abroad. Its jurisdiction was greatly
     curtailed by Herod, and afterwards by the Romans. Its usual
     place of meeting was within the precincts of the temple, in the
     hall "Gazith," but it sometimes met also in the house of the
     high priest Mt 26:3 who was assisted by two vice-presidents.