During the Second Temple era, the Sanhedrin served as the Jewish supreme court, with the final authority on all religious, civil, and criminal matters. The Sanhedrin consisted of 71 members, headed by a Nasi who was descended from King David. Originally, the Sanhedrin met daily in the Temple itself, but under Roman rule, as its position became more precarious, the Sanhedrin was forced to move from place to place, sometimes meeting in secret. The Talmud lists ten moves in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.1 In this article, we will explore each location and its significance.2
Chamber of Hewn Stone
In the Temple, the Sanhedrin was located in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, right next to and partially inside the Temple Courtyard. The chamber was flanked by two entrances, allowing entry either from the Courtyard or from the other side.3 The area outside the Courtyard was semicircular in shape, and the judges sat in order of seniority, with the Nasi in the center.
There they deliberated and voted on many matters, especially those that had not been settled by the lower courts. The Jewish people accepted their authority and abided by their decisions.
“Stores” on Temple Mount
In 30 CE, forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple, the Sanhedrin left the Chamber of Hewn Stone and moved to a less sacred place on the Temple Mount, called chanuyot, which may mean “stores.”4
With the move from the Temple, the Jewish courts lost the authority to judge capital cases. This was a deliberate decision made by the Sanhedrin after witnessing increasing corruption among the Jewish elite, including the office of the High Priest. These wealthy and powerful criminals would hire murderous gangs to extort money from the people and enrich themselves. With the benefit of Roman citizenship and close ties with the Roman authorities, these corrupt leaders could not be punished without endangering the whole institution of the Sanhedrin. Thus, the judges decided to avoid trying capital cases rather than convicting criminals without the power to execute them.
Jerusalem
It is unclear when and why the Sanhedrin moved from the Temple Mount to another location in Jerusalem. Some suggest that it may be because Lower Jerusalem (which included the Temple Mount) was then in rebel hands and not easily accessible to many people.
Yavneh
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Sanhedrin moved to Yavneh. There, under the leadership of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, the Sages worked hard to salvage whatever was left of the institution.
The last head of the Sanhedrin during the Temple’s existence was Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who was cruelly executed by the Romans. His son, Rabban Gamliel, continued his father’s work in Yavneh. Rabban Gamliel remained in that position for over four decades, until his death in 118 CE.
Those were turbulent decades. The Jews still harbored hope of freedom from Roman rule, but the Romans continuously quashed any sign of Jewish revival and struggle for independence. The Sanhedrin, the seat of Jewish leadership, remained under constant suspicion from the Roman authorities. And yet, Rabban Gamliel managed not only to unite the Jewish people but also to engage in political activity, negotiating with the Romans on behalf of his people.
In 81 CE, Rabban Gamliel traveled to Rome for the first time, accompanied by Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Eliezer. Over a decade had passed since the destruction of the Temple, and rumor had it that Emperor Titus, who had destroyed it, had since softened his stance towards the Jews. Rabban Gamliel hoped to meet with the emperor and intercede on behalf of many Jewish prisoners still held in Roman prisons.
Unfortunately, Emperor Titus was assassinated by his younger brother Domitian before Rabban Gamliel had a chance to meet with him. Domitian declared himself the new emperor and immediately embarked on a campaign of persecution against the Jews in Judea.
Rabban Gamliel and his colleagues returned to Yavneh safe but empty-handed. But they were not out of danger yet. Emperor Domitian sent spies to Yavneh. His suspicions only grew when the spies reported that under the leadership of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish community was growing and developing.
Domitian ordered the execution of prominent Jews and their supporters, both in Rome and in Judea. The Greek historian Eusebius reported that Domitian specifically targeted all the descendants of King David.
Fortunately, Rabban Gamliel was warned about the decree and went into hiding. The judges of the Sanhedrin made the difficult decision to leave Yavneh.
Usha
The Sages chose the small northern town of Usha in the Galilee as the next location of the Sanhedrin. They were hoping that being away from any central location and any seat of Roman authority would allow the Sanhedrin to convene in peace. The Sanhedrin stayed in Usha for about a decade, between 86 and 96 CE.
Due to the volatile political situation, the Sanhedrin did not meet regularly. They assembled only occasionally, when it was necessary to issue a ruling. The rest of the time, the Nasi and other Sages of the Sanhedrin traveled throughout the land, teaching Torah, resolving disputes, and advocating on behalf of the Jewish community with the Roman authorities.
Back to Yavneh
Domitian’s reign of terror stopped short with his own assassination in 96 CE. The next emperor, Nerva, was much more favorably disposed to the Jews. Encouraged by these developments, Rabban Gamliel came out of hiding and again traveled to Rome, this time accompanied by Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, and Rabbi Akiva.
Their mission was successful and led to more benevolent treatment of Jews, both in Judea and in Rome.
Like his predecessor, Emperor Nerva sent spies to find out what Jews were up to. Two Roman officers pretending to be Jews came to Usha and joined Rabban Gamliel’s Torah classes. When they left, they said to the Jews, “All your Torah is fitting and praiseworthy.”
At this point, the judges of the Sanhedrin deemed it safe to move back to Yavneh.
The reprieve for the Jews was short-lived, as Emperor Nerva ruled for less than two years. After his death in 98 CE, he was succeeded by Trajan, a warrior set on expanding the borders of the Roman Empire. Though antisemitic, Trajan was too busy with his military campaigns to pay much attention to Judea. Thus, for the first five years of his reign, the Sanhedrin remained in Yavneh undisturbed.
In 102 CE, however, Emperor Trajan began planning his most ambitious campaign yet – the conquest of the Parthian Empire, the successor to the Persian Empire.
Since Judea was on the way to Parthia, Trajan decided that he could not risk a Jewish revival and potential rebellion. As a preventative measure, he began suppressing and persecuting the Jews of Judea.
As undisputed leaders of the Jews, the judges of the Sanhedrin were under heightened suspicion and had no choice but to disband. Rabban Gamliel moved to Lod, where he lived quietly as a regular person. Others moved elsewhere, including Usha.
For years, the Sanhedrin was unable to meet. Its members continued teaching Torah in secret. The Talmud relates that at times, the Sages met in secret and made crucial decisions relevant to the precarious situation. For example:
It was considered and decided in the attic of the house of Nitzah in Lod that with regard to any transgression of the Torah, if one is commanded either to transgress or be killed, he should transgress and not be killed – except for idolatry, forbidden relations, and murder.5
Trajan’s Parthian campaign was unsuccessful, and Trajan himself fell ill and died before he was able to return to Rome.
Back to Usha
The next emperor, Hadrian, had previously been the governor of Syria and was on good terms with Rabbi Joshua. The Jews were optimistic that under Hadrian’s reign, their situation would improve.
At first, Hadrian’s policy was to pursue peace with everyone, including the Jews of Judea. The Sages were finally able to come out of hiding, and the Sanhedrin was cautiously reestablished in Usha. However, it was missing a Nasi. Rabban Gamliel had died in Lod. His son, Rabban Shimon, was slated to become the next Nasi, but the Sages felt that it was still too dangerous for Rabban Shimon to assume a public role. Instead, Rabbi Akiva, who was descended from converts and not from King David, became the unofficial head of the Sanhedrin.
In a gesture of peace, Emperor Hadrian granted the Jews permission to rebuild the Temple, until enemies of the Jews convinced him to rescind and enact decrees targeting Jewish observance.
Thrown from hope to despair, the Jews of Judea chose to resist the Romans in what became known as the Bar Kochba Revolt.
Though initially successful, the revolt was eventually suppressed in 133 CE. Judea was left devastated. Many Sages were put to death, and whoever survived fled.
Shefaram
It wasn’t until a decade later, several years after Hadrian’s death in 138 CE, that the bodies of the victims of the Beiter massacres were released for burial and the refugees from Judea felt it was safe enough to return. The new emperor, Antoninus Pius, relaxed the persecution of Jews, and although the previous harsh decrees remained, they were no longer enforced.
The Sages decided to reestablish the Sanhedrin in a new place, to avoid any suspicion. They chose the northern town of Shefaram, close to Usha yet far enough away to avoid probing eyes. This time, Rabban Shimon, the son of Rabban Gamliel, took his rightful place as the Nasi. Decisive yet humble, Rabban Shimon was immediately accepted as a natural leader.
The Romans, however, became increasingly suspicious of Rabban Shimon and the immense respect the Jewish people held for him. They ordered him to leave Shefaram. Rabban Shimon moved to Usha and the Sanhedrin remained in Shefar’am, functioning without a Nasi.
Beit She’arim
After Rabban Shimon’s death, his son, Rabbi Yehuda, was the next candidate. Friendly with the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, the son of the previous emperor, Rabbi Yehuda felt that it would be safe for him to claim his position as Nasi. To make a new start and avoid suspicion, he moved to Beit She’arim and reestablished the Sanhedrin there.
Rabbi Yehuda was not only a scholar but also a wealthy landowner. His position and relationship with the emperor enabled him to help many of his fellow Jews, both financially and by interceding with the authorities. Overall, this time period was the most peaceful and tranquil since the destruction of the Temple, and thus most conducive to Torah learning. Many students flocked to Beit She’arim to learn from the Sages.
It was there that Rabbi Yehuda began working on his magnum opus, the Mishnah, a systematic compilation of the teachings of the Oral Torah.
Tzippori
When Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi became ill, he relocated to the town of Tzippori, where the high altitude and fresh mountain air would be beneficial for his health.6 The Sanhedrin moved with him, establishing itself in Tzippori.
After Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi’s death, in approximately 192 CE, his son Rabban Gamliel became the next Nasi. By then, the Roman Empire had lost its former glory. It was torn apart by internal struggles over the throne. Rabban Gamliel remained neutral, preferring not to take part in the conflict. He taught, “Be cautious of the ruling authorities, for they befriend a man only for their own benefit. They appear as friends when it is to their own advantage, but they do not stand by a man when he is in distress.”7
Tiberias
After Rabban Gamliel’s death in approximately 200 CE, he was succeeded by his son, known as Rabbi Yehuda Nesiah, the last Nasi to head the Sanhedrin.
Rabbi Yehuda Nesiah moved to Tiberias, and the Sanhedrin moved with him. The choice of Tiberias was likely due to its low altitude and hot climate. The Romans avoided settling in Tiberias, preferring the nearby cooler mountainous areas instead. Thus, Tiberias remained a Jewish town and a center of Torah learning.
Tiberias was the last location of the Sanhedrin. As the political situation became less and less stable, the Sages were forced to disperse. Many of them left the Land of Israel for Babylonia, where the Babylonian Talmud was completed.
Though the Talmud refers to Tiberias as the lowest of all the Sanhedrin’s locations, both literally and figuratively, it concludes with a hopeful note. Rabbi Yochanan, contemporary and teacher of Rabbi Yehuda Nesiah, says that from that very city the Redemption will arise.8
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