The
Sanhedrin (
Hebrew ????????;
Greek s???d????,
[1] synedrion, "sitting together," hence "
assembly" or "council") was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the
Land of Israel.
[2]The Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a) states GEMARA. Whence is this derived? — R. Aha Haninah said Scripture states, Thy navel is like a round goblet [‘aggan ha-Sahar] wherein no mingled wine is wanting.8 ‘Thy navel’ — that is the Sanhedrin. Why was it called ‘navel’? — Because it sat at the navel-point9 of the world. [Why] ‘aggan?10 — Because it protects [meggin] the whole world. [Why] ha-Sahar? — Because it was moon-shaped.11 [Why] in which no mingled wine is wanting? — I.e., if one of them had to leave, it had to be ascertained if twenty-three, corresponding to the number of the minor Sanhedrin, were left,12 in which case he might go out; if not, he might not depart.
Thy belly is like a heap of wheat13 Just as all benefit from a heap of wheat, so do all benefit from the deliberations of the Sanhedrin.
(8) Cant. VII, 3. (9) I.e., the centre. According to Midrashic legend the Temple was situated in the centre of the world. Cf. Tanhuma, Wayikra. XVIII,23. (10) idt akin to idn — ‘to enclose’. Hence,shield, protect. (11) rvx=moon.I.e., they were seated in circular form like a moon. (12) The actual number required for capital cases is twenty-three, roughly a third of seventy-one, the remaining two-thirds being for completion purposes. The Aggadists therefore compare the court to mingled wine, a mixture of one-third of wine and two-thirds of water. Cf. B M. 60a; Tanhuma. Bamidbar IV. (13) Cant. VII ,3.
