Page 10 - Life of Christ - textbook (3)

which among other roles acted as the Supreme Court. This court during the time of Christ was under
Roman authority and was assigned the duties to help govern lesser issues of the Jews. However, they
were not granted death sentencing authority in pronouncing judgment for capital crimes. The
Sanhedrin was composed of Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes, and aristocratic Jews of prominent families.
They had the power to tax and the authority to rule or intervene on the disposition of taxes raised for
local purposes by local councils. The Sanhedrin chose among themselves a leader called the High Priest,
who acted as ex officio head of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was eventually dissolved by imperial
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decree in 358 AD and ceases to exist to this day.

Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees?

The Reign of Herod the Great
Herod the Great was designated as the “King of the Jews” or tetrarch of Galilee by Rome in 40BC. Herod
was not a Jew, so this appointment caused a lot of resentment among the Jews. He was from Idumea
and the Jews looked at the Idumeans as racially impure. Worse, Herod had an Arab mother and Jews
considered a person Jewish only if they were born of a Jewish mother. In spite of Jewish opposition,
Herod began various building programs to soften their opposition toward him. He built new walls
around Jerusalem and constructed Fort Antonia (named after Mark Antony) which guarded the Temple.

Throughout Herod’s reign, he was insecure in his position. In Jerusalem the
king built a new market, an amphitheater, a theater, a new building where
the Sanhedrin could convene, a new royal palace, and in 20 BC he started to
rebuild the Temple which was completed by others in 64 AD. He built the
Temple to help build a stronger relationship with the Jews and to exalt the
Jewish faith above all others. He also built buildings in Jericho and Samaria.
In trying to relieve his fear of insurrection, he constructed the massive
fortresses of Herodium, Machaerus, and Masada.

5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrin#:~:text=The%20Sanhedrin%20(Hebrew%20and%20Jewish,sit%20as%20a
%20tribunal%20in

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