The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the land. 1 It originated from the priestly aristocracy (see Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 5:7) and in the time of Jesus there were seventy-one members, with the high priest as the head and the chief priests (priestly nobility) as the most influential group. Members were also drawn from the teachers of the law (many of whom were Pharisees) and the elders (lay aristocracy). They were given some freedom by the Romans to deal with the affairs of Judea, though it appears as if the right to kill was withheld from them (see John 18:31). 2
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brotherwill be liable to judgment; whoever insultshis brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hellof fire.