The True Story of Jesus — Page 72
as 72 The same argument can be put forward for any meeting con- ducted before daybreak. ‘The rabbinic treatise on the Sanhedrin, written c. 200 states that its meetings could not be held on a Sabbath or any festival day, let alone by night. ’1 Moreover, ‘It has been pointed out, in questioning the accuracy of the account that it would have been unlikely for the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court for dealing with matters relating to the Law to have met in the high priest’s house, seeing that it had its own proper place of assembly. ’2 ‘Historians have even begun to argue that no such formal Sanhedrin, i. e. night time meeting of the Jewish council, endured in Judea throughout its rule by Herod and his Roman successors. ’3 We, therefore, conclude that no night time meeting of the Sanhedrin was held. After taking into consideration the sequence of events accord- ing to the Bible and the requirements of Jewish Law, it seems unlikely that after the arrest of Jesus as on Thursday, the full meet- ing of the Sanhedrin, comprising seventy one members, could have taken place before Sunday, as Friday was the Passover and Saturday, being the Sabbath, no Jewish trial could have taken place on those days. Assuming that the Sanhedrin met on Sunday, the verdict of crucifixion could not possibly have been delivered until Monday, following a mandatory 24 hours as required by Jewish Law. Jesus as must then have been taken to Pilate for the Roman trial. If Jesus as 1. The Unauthorised Version, p. 289 2. The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth, by S. G. F. Brandon, published by Batsford Ltd. London 1968. p. 87 3. The Unauthorised Version, p. 291