Sanhedrin (Talmud)

"Sanhedrin" (סנהדרין) is one of ten tractates of the Nezikin (a section of the Talmud that deals with damages, ie. civil and criminal proceedings). The Gemara of the tractate is noteworthy as precursors to the development of common law principles Fact|date=February 2007.

ummary of Sanhedrin

Within the Nezikin, the Sanhedrin focuses on criminal law and punishments. The tractate includes eleven chapters, addressing the following topics:
# The different levels of courts and which cases each level presides over
# Laws of the high priest and Jewish king and their involvement in court proceedings
# Civil suits: acceptable witnesses and judges and the general proceedings
# The difference between criminal and civil cases, general proceedings in criminal cases
# Court procedures, including examination of witnesses and the voting of the judges
# Procedures for execution after condemnation, especially stoning
# The 4 types of capital punishments, details of crimes which merit stoning
# The rebellious son, and other crimes for which the offender is killed before committing the actual prohibition, and the commandments which Jews are to die before violating.
# Details of crimes meriting capital punishment by burning or slaying; auxiliary punishments
# Details of crimes meriting capital punishment by choking
# The World to Come. This chapter is known individually by "Helek", one of its opening words.

This is the order found in the Gemara, but the Mishna has the last 2 chapters reversed in order.

External links

* [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Talmud/sanhedrin_toc.html Complete Sanhedrin Tractate] Jewish Virtual Library