Sanhedrin 17 – The Great Sanhedrin

The Great Sanhedrin comprised seventy-one judges since Moses is counted as part of it. Rabbi Yehudah, however, says that the Sanhedrin had only seventy judges since Moses was not counted among them.

Moses selected six judges from each of the twelve tribes. Then, he used lottery tickets that either said “Sage” or were empty. However, Eldad and Meidad remained in the camp because they thought themselves unworthy (alternatively, they were afraid not to be selected). Instead, they were granted prophesy.

The members of the Sanhedrin must be men of height, wisdom, moderate old age, acquainted with witchcraft, and who know seventy languages so that they hear the testimony directly and not through an interpreter. They should be able to prove from the Torah that an obviously non-kosher thing is kosher.

Art: Self-portrait by Lucas The Elder Cranach