Roman legislation severely reduced the scope of its authority, but confirmed the body's ultimate authority in religious matters. [11][17] This institution symbolized the passing of authority from the Patriarchate to the Babylonian Talmudic academies. Eventually, Jesus stated that He was and is theSon of Man and then announced His second coming. [5] It states the Sanhedrin Council had seventy-one members and that it was not clear why the Council had seventy-one members since Numbers 11:16 said, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of the Israel.[6] There were other lower councils which were composed of twenty-three members.[7]. First Thoughts | A First Things Blog, The Top Blog Posts of the Week | SBC Today, Food for Thought Desiring the Better Country, One More Reason To Believe Paul Was Married | Denny Burk. Or BETHDIN, house of judgment, was a council of seventy senators among the Jews, usually with the addition of the high priest as president, who determined the most important affairs of the nation.It is first mentioned by Josephus in connection with the reign of John Hyrcanus II, B. C. 69, and is supposed to have originated after the second temple was built, during the cessation of . A place where magic is studied and practiced? Resurrection Accounts Resurrection of Christ, Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . In Jesus' time it was mostly made up of Sadducees. But it is fairly clear that Paul wasn't actually a member. SANHEDRIN, a Hebrew and Jewish-Aramaic loanword from the Greek sunedrion, is believed to be the name of the supreme autonomous institution of the Jews of Palestine during the Roman and early Byzantine periods (63 bce to the fifth or sixth century ce).The generally accepted view of the Sanhedrin is as follows. Mostly likely the Sanhedrin evolved from the elders after the return from captivity (Ezra 5:5, 9; 6:7). What, then, is the evidence in support of this position? Nicodemus (/ n k d i m s /; Greek: , translit. We assume that Nicodemus andJoseph of Arimathea did not or were not in attendance. Why did Clement and Eusebius believe that Paul was married? I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: ; Greek: , synedrion, 'sitting together,' hence 'assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in the ancient Land of Israel.. This Sanhedrin, which was entirely aristocratic in character, probably assumed its own authority, since it was composed of members of the most influential families of the nobility and priesthood (comp. These documents, including the Mishnah, are derived fromoral traditions and appear to be tainted by the events that occurred during the time of Christ. During the Second Temple period, the Sanhedrin met in a building known as the Hall of Hewn Stones (Lishkat ha-Gazit), which has been placed by the Talmud and many scholars as built into the northern wall of the Temple Mount, half inside the sanctuary and half outside, with doors providing access variously to the Temple and to the outside. However, the destruction of the Temple in A.D.70 and the devastation of Jerusalem in A.D. 135 created a national and religious emergency. Thequestion is, What will you do with Jesus? He is the King of kings, Lord of lords and the only Savior of saviors. This rule had nothing to do with whether full Israelites could be seated in the Sanhedrin if they were single. . Sorry to just barge in on your blog. Did Adam lie before sin entered theworld? Unfortunately, the word for unmarried can be interchanged. Since the dissolution of the Sanhedrin in or around 358 CE, there have been several attempts to re-establish it. A Synhedrion is mentioned 22 times in the Greek New Testament, including in the Gospels in relation to the trial of Jesus, and in the Acts of the Apostles, which mentions a "Great Synhedrion" in chapter 5 where rabbi Gamaliel appeared, and also in chapter 7 in relation to the stoning death of Saint Stephen. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. Around 325 A.D., Eusebius wrote The History of the Church , in which he quotes Clement of Alexandria, who wrote Miscellanies around 200 A.D. With the intent to rebut those who deprecated marriage , Eusebius quotes Clement as writing: This proclamation, written in Hebrew, French, German, and Italian, speaks in extravagant terms of the importance of this revived institution and of the greatness of its imperial protector. Assemblies of twenty-three or seventy-one Jewish elders, The trial of Jesus, and early Christianity, Mantel, Hugo. While we cannot know this for sure, it is probable that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council whose limited authority was sanctioned by Roman government. [10] Thereafter, Jews were gradually excluded from holding public office.[12]. And two judges clerks stand before them . Is it known that BQP is not contained within NP? will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna." (Mt 5:21-22) If you . They were highly respected among the people, operating principally in the synagogues. In at least the NIV, the [a] is a reference to a note that the Greek word is also used for widower. It probably operated under some sort of Roman oversight, at least with respect to its taxing, law enforcement, and other administrative functions. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Welcome to Christianity Stack Exchange. Pretty sure he is commissioned by them, and sides with the 'Pharisees' against the Sadducees, but is most likely never a member of the Sanhedrin. G. D. Fee. He identifies himself as unmarried in 1 Corinthians 7:8: "To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am." . Now, there is no technical requirement for a rabbiboth in the classic and contemporary use of the wordto be married. The idea that Paul was married is pretty common at the pastor-level but also is held by a number of scholars, though most would agree it cannot be proven from scripture and is only a theory. In other words, hes most likely saying, As an apostle, not only do I have the right to depend on you for my food and drink and for my support, if I had a wife, Id have the right to bring her alongalso at your expense. Imagine what it would be like if you had to stand before them while they questioned you. There is better suggestion that a member of the Sanhedrin needed to be married (although, again, the sources aren't the most primary),1but we have no reason to believe that Paul, although advanced in Judaism (Gal. The first historical record of the body was during the administration of Aulus Gabinius, who, according to Josephus, organized five synedra in 57 BCE as Roman administration was not concerned with religious affairs unless sedition was suspected. The Sanhedrin was a governing body made up of the chief priest (high priest), a vice chief justice, and 69 general members. did members of the sanhedrin have to be married. Without the full backing of the Sanhedrin, a high priest did not have the power to single-handedly order a man's death. The gospel records are consistent. On October 6, 1806, the Assembly of Notables issued a proclamation to all the Jewish communities of Europe, inviting them to send delegates to the Sanhedrin, to convene on October 20. Were members of the Sanhedrin required to be married. It was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. [8]The exact nature of this early Sanhedrin is not clear. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. There is better suggestion that a member of the Sanhedrin needed to be married (although, again, the sources arent the most primary),1 but we have no reason to believe that Paul, although advanced in Judaism (Gal. All in all, there was no reverence or awe of the divine, and all the effort was put into glorifying Man, not God. The implication could be made that Paul was complaining about leaving some wife behind. There are two official versions of the Oath of the Horatii. Should we accept the writings of the Apostle Paul as inspired (see 1 Corinthians 7:12)? It was the supreme legal, legislative, and judicial body for Jews living everywhere. When read as widowers this chapter has a natural flow of topics but as unmarried there is repetition. There was also influential lay nobility within Jerusalem, represented by the elders who sat on the Sanhedrin. They are Nicodemus andJoseph of Arimathea (John 3:1; Mark 15:43;Luke 23:50-51; John 19:38-39). (LogOut/ He would return as Conqueror and King. He writes, Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. (Pauls specific point is that being single provides the advantages of freedom and flexibility for Christian service. If this conclusion is true, then Paul was probably one of the members of the Sanhedrin who condemned Stephen. A look at the Sanhedrin's origins finds its first mention . Together with his cousin, Queen Esther, Mordecai (Mordechai) was the hero of the dramatic, Divinely-orchestrated events that led up to the declaration of the Jewish holiday of Purim in the fourth century BCE. Iu Mien History. Pharisees. The following is a summary of the powers and responsibilities of the Patriarchate from the onset of the third century, based on rabbinic sources as understood by L.I. ii. Among them were many prophets, including Chaggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Ezra, Nechemiah, Mordechai, and Zerubavel. This information is part of Demmers-Harmeijer Extended Family by Henny Carlisle on Genealogie Online. At the time it was called Beit Hava'ad. How was Jesus from the line of King David if his real father was not Joseph? The word Sanhedrin means "sitting together," "council," or "assembly.". Here is the warning (see footnote for the full quote), It is, unfortunately, impossible to reconcile the description of the Sanhedrin in the rabbinic materials with that found in the NT and Josephus. I believe Saul was probably a member of the Sanhedrin which means he was probably married and had children which was . [19], Before 191 BCE the High Priest acted as the ex officio head of the Sanhedrin,[13] but in 191 BCE, when the Sanhedrin lost confidence in the High Priest, the office of Nasi was created. As historical sources the reliability of the NT and Josephus far exceeds that of the rabbinic writings, which often reflect the state of affairs after, rather than before, the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70.. However, some exceptions, like in the cases of Jacob and Joseph, exist. [9] The exact reason for the abrogation of the patriarchate is not clear,[10] though Gamaliel VI, the last holder of the office who had been for a time elevated by the emperor to the rank of prefect,[11] may have fallen out with the imperial authorities. saducces and more. Both passages reveal thatNicodemus was a political ruler of Israel and a religious teacher. Some believe that the apostle Paul was married because history tells us that a member of the Sanhedrin was required to be married. 4. If success makes us feel that God loves us, does that mean God does not love those whofail? "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?". Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Must women have children in order to be redeemed or absolved from reproach? However, he recognizes that whether to stay single or get married is a matter of following Gods calling: Each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. So while Paul praises the advantages of singleness for his type of ministry, he also sees marriage as a gift from God. Their functions were political rather than religious, though their influence was not limited to the secular realm. He saw his singleness as something that permitted him to have a ministry that required much travel and involved much personal risk. The Memorial of St. Joseph of Arimathea is Aug. 31 (formerly March 17), and he is the patron of undertakers and pallbearers. 12.3.3; 14.5.4; 14.9.3; 20.9.1. An attempt has been made to do just this, however, by alleging that there were two major Sanhedrins in Jerusalem: (1) a political Sanhedrin composed of a priestly aristocracy headed by the high priest, concerned with civil affairs and the administration of criminal justice (of which we read in the NT and Josephus) and (2) a religious Sanhedrin composed of a laity of Pharisees headed by a rabbi, concerned with matters of religious life and the interpretation of Torah (of which we read in the rabbinic materials). His name suggests he was a Hellenistic Jew who spoke and preached in Greek, one of the common languages in Israel in that day. Thank you! And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.Matthew 26:59-64 (NASB). There was a great battle at Philippi (in modern-day Turkey, near Greece). Before 191 BCE the High Priest acted as the ex officio head of the Sanhedrin,[13] but in 191 BCE, when the Sanhedrin lost confidence in the High Priest, the office of Nasi was created. Mishnah. I have always considered the language of I Corinthians 7:1-9 to be saying that Paul never was married (that it was his "gift" that he never had that strong desire), but the passage does allow for him to have been widowed, if that was indeed the case. D. A. Hagner. Religious leaders were scattered and scarce. The book-to-blog version of the book I co-authored with Dr. Stephen J. Godfrey on creationism, paleontology, and biblical interpretation. Focus of leadership in the Jewish community: Receiving daily visits from prominent families; Appointment of judges to Jewish courts in the Land of Israel; Issuing enactments and decrees with respect to the applicability or release from legal requirements, e.g. R. Johanan, a Palestinian amora of the third century, enumerates the qualifications of the members of the Sanhedrin as follows: they must be tall, of imposing appearance, and of advanced age; and they must be learned and must understand foreign languages as well as some of the arts of the necromancer (Sanh. I found an excellent resource here at Denny Burk's Blog about the subject. Paul was a chosen and prepared vessel for the ministry he was given. But later on two came forward, and said, This man stated, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. The high priest stood up and said to Him, Do You not answer? Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Not that it mattered because Paul wasn't a member of the Sanhedrin. However, since the Hebrew calendar was based on witnesses' testimony, which had become far too dangerous to collect, rabbi Hillel II recommended change to a mathematically based calendar that was adopted at a clandestine, and maybe final, meeting in 358 CE. In this period the Sanhedrin was sometimes referred as the Galilean Patriarchate or Patriarchate of Palaestina, being the governing legal body of Galilean Jewry. As a new visitor, I'd recommend checking out the following two posts, which are meant to help newcomers "learn the ropes": What is the evidence that suggests that the Apostle Paul was married? I don't know whether this was an absolute rule or whether it would just have been very unusual. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? Their purpose likely is to give some . Not only did the final Chicago concert happen in July 1979 in the book, but also the interviews started being conducted in 2006, 25 years after the concert, and ended eight years later, with the death of Billy's wife, Camila. Because of the approaching persecution (I Corinthians 7:26), Paul urged Christians to refrain from marriage as he had done, if they could. Why didn't God give Esau back the blessing that Jacob stole? (1972) "Sanhedrin". As a reward they became the Sanhedrin of 70 Elders. At the time of Jesus, the court was composed of the high priest, members of the families from whom the high priest was selected, elders of the tribes and notable families, and notable legal experts. This question and two more questions will be answered in order to provide a biblical perspective of how the Council functioned in the time of Jesus Christ. "I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers". On October 13, 2004, the Sanhedrin Council of the Jewish nation was reconstituted for the first time in 1,600 years. If you are not a Christian, we urge you to start. The first historic mention of a Synhedrion (Greek: ) occurs in the Psalms of Solomon (XVII:49), a Jewish religious book written in Greek. 19:9]). The name presumably arises to distinguish it from the buildings in the Temple complex used for ritual purposes, which could not be constructed of stones hewn by any iron implement. A lesser Sanhedrin of 23 judges was appointed to sit as a tribunal in each city, but there was only supposed to be one Great Sanhedrin of 71 judges, which among other roles acted as the Supreme Court, taking appeals from cases which were decided by lesser courts. requirement that all members of the Sanhedrin be married. The Mishnah states that the Sanhedrin Council tried cases dealing with a tribe, a false prophet, and a high priest. 1. I think this for the following reasons: Paul cast his vote against the Christians, showing that he belonged to some sort of decision making group. 1977. vol. Did Ruth seduce Boaz to get him to marry her? Some have stated that Paul was widowed, because they say that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. Levine:[16], Up to the middle of the fourth century, the Patriarchate retained the prerogative of determining the Hebrew calendar and guarded the intricacies of the needed calculations, in an effort to constrain interference by the Babylonian community. As such, they were the only ones who could try the king, extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put. Jinx! Friedmann, p. 25b), they had also to be strong and courageous. . What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07. How many members did the Sanhedrin have? I see numerous claims that it was a requirement, but none indicate sources, which tells me this is probably an urban legend. Can Martian regolith be easily melted with microwaves? In general, the full panel of 71 judges was convened only on matters of national significance (e.g., a declaration of war) or when the 23-member panel failed to reach a conclusive verdict.[15]. Capital punishment was prescribed for any Rabbi who received ordination, as well as complete destruction of the town where the ordination occurred.[9]. Because of the approaching persecution ( I Corinthians 7:26 ), Paul urged Christians to refrain from marriage as he had done, if . Below are six passages to prayerfully read and ponder, to get to know . In the Second Temple period, the Great Sanhedrin met in the Temple in Jerusalem, in a building called the Hall of Hewn Stones. Only after the destruction of the Second Temple was the Sanhedrin made up only of sages. It may have been a body of sages and/or priests, or a political, legislative and judicial institution. I think we ended up with the same argument just 60 secs apart! Is there any evidence that Paul was a descendant of Jonathan? Beginning in 191 BC, the Sanhedrin was led by a president or prince ( Nasi) and a vice president, dean, or chancellor ( Av beis din ). Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. World missions What does the Bible say. "Let Messiah come, but let me not see him." (BT, Sanhedrin 98b) Shabbateanism (Shabta'ut) was a Jewish messianic movement whose widespread influence and profound impact in the 17 th and 18 . It is, unfortunately, impossible to reconcile the description of the Sanhedrin in the rabbinic materials with that found in the NT and Josephus. This incredible development, largely ignored by . If this is true, and it comes from sources that are reliable, we would have to assume he was not a member. 5, p. 269. [9]. Also their is an age factor involved. Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? The Scripture did not clearly state whether Paul was single in his entire life nor have been married and widowed. 1. According to the Talmudic sources, including the tractate Sanhedrin, the Great Sanhedrin was a court of 71 sages that met on fixed occasions in the Lishkat La-Gazit (Chamber of the Hewn Stones) in the Jerusalem Temple and that was presided over by two officials (zugot, or pair), the nasi and the av bet din. There are other components to this that some might also consider illegal. We cant be sure that it was in effect during his lifetime. Acts 5:34-35 indicates that the famous rabbi Gamaliel was a member of the Council and made an eloquent plea for justice for Peter and the apostles. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. #7. Another argument thats sometimes made for Paul being married is his question, also found in 1 Corinthians, Dont we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lords brothers and Cephas? The argument goes like this: Why would Paul insist that he had the right to bring a believing wife along with him if he didnt even have a wife? There were two classes of Rabbinite Jewish courts which were called Sanhedrin, the Great Sanhedrin and the Lesser Sanhedrin. What I suspect has happened is that there were regulations for non-Israelites' placement on the Sanhedrin. However, since Paul has just said, only a little earlier in this same letter, that he is single, it makes sense to understand him to mean that this is one of the many rights that apostles have (he lists several more); he is actually on his way to saying that he hasnt used any such rights so that he can bring the gospel to the Corinthians free of charge. : Repurchase or redemption of formerly Jewish land from gentile owners; Status of Hellenistic cities of the Land of Israel re: purity, tithing, sabbatical year; Dispatching emissaries to diaspora communities; Taxation: both the power to tax and the authority to rule/intervene on the disposition of taxes raised for local purposes by local councils. 2022 By ozzfest 2022 location. How to handle a hobby that makes income in US, Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology, Is there a solution to add special characters from software and how to do it. This court dealt with only religious matters. There is evidence that to be a married man was a requirement for membership of the Sanhedrin. The word Sanhedrin is a transliteration of the Greek word synedrion which means council, meeting or assembly.[2] Josephus refers to the Sanhedrin Council multiple times. They regarded the head of the Sanhedrin as their own paid government official with the status of Prefect. The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 1:6) arrives at the number twenty-three based on an exegetical derivation: it must be possible for a "community" to vote for both conviction and exoneration (Numbers 35:245). Since there was no king during the 1st cent. Peter has denied Jesus for the third time, and the members of the Sanhedrin have finished with their mock trial and have dispersed. What is the basis for arguing that Paul should have been selected as the 12th apostle instead of Matthias? The Sanhedrin was considered the supreme court of ancient Israel. Thank you. This led to persecution of sectarian groups, and attempts by these groups to find fault with the Sanhedrin before the Roman government. Lauterbach, Hoenig, Zeitlin, Mantel), it has not found general consent and is here rejected as a conjecture that is too facile and goes too far beyond what the concrete evidence warrants. Before the Sanhedrin, Then to Pilate. He was a consulting editor to the International Bible Society (now Biblica) for The Books of the Bible, an edition of the New International Version (NIV) that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. The same thing often occurs in our nations today. Here and also at verse 40 in the context of widows, Paul personalises the message. And let them judge the people at all times. 4, p. 849. It did not follow the halakhic procedures of the traditional Sanhedrin. After the time of Hillel the Elder (late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE), the Nasi was almost invariably a descendant of Hillel. The Talmud tractate Sanhedrin identifies two classes of rabbinical courts called Sanhedrin, a Great Sanhedrin ( ) and a Lesser Sanhedrin ( ). The Mishnah itself dates in its written form to about A.D. 200. "According to R. Jose b. Halafta, the members of the Great Bet Din were required to possess the following qualifications: scholarship, modesty, and popularity among their fellow men (Tosef., Hag. This is the most comprehensive explanation so far. There is no definitive evidence that we can ascertain from the Scriptures except that he was not married during the time of his writings, but very well could have been previously been married and widowed. How can I check before my flight that the cloud separation requirements in VFR flight rules are met? Gamaliel VI (400425) was the Sanhedrin's last president. We will be studying Romans at our congregation and understanding Paul, who he was and his motivation is the first thing I want everyone to grasp. The covering of the head has become one of the most hotly debated points of controversy between Reform and Orthodox Jewry. 19a)." Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? One of the traditions, especially if he was a member of the Sanhedrin (which he never outright claimed), is that eventually he would be married. That is, the Sanhedrin Council of seventy-one judges sitting ina half-circle with clerks and sages before them. While this ingenious and attractive theory has been accepted by a number of Jewish scholars (e.g. In some cases, it was necessary only for a 23-member panel (functioning as a Lesser Sanhedrin) to convene. During the presidency of Gamaliel IV (270290), due to Roman persecution, it dropped the name Sanhedrin; and its authoritative decisions were subsequently issued under the name of Beth HaMidrash. Thank you for visiting my blog Good Question. . What does the Bible teach about marriage? Luke 22:66 reveals that the Sanhedrin Council at the time of the New Testament was composed of elders of the nation and included both the chief priests and scribes. If you wish to cancel your subscription, you can click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email or visit your subscription dashboard and unsubscribe from there, Write to minister@lavistachurchofchrist.org, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window). In regard to the Sanhedrin of 70 Elders to help Moses, years before in Egypt these men had been Hebrew officials under Egyptian taskmasters; they were beaten by the Egyptians when they refused to beat fellow Jews in order to finish building projects. THE night is drawing to a close. Some have argued that the Sanhedrin members were disqualified from making any judgments. However, as soon as it becomes dawn Friday morning, they meet again, this time at their Sanhedrin hall. Jeremiah 9:23-24. What is the evidence that suggests that the Apostle Paul was married? In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes it very clear that he is single. There is agreement that the Sanhedrin Council of Jerusalem was the highest Jewish authority in Israel before A.D. 70. Acts 23:1-7 reveals that the Council was composed of Pharisees, Sadducees and chief priests. In that verse he is called a ruler of the Jews. Then in verse 10 of the passage he is called the teacher of Israel., Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews . The Book of Esther, which he co-authored, describes him as . from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Acceptable comments policy for Christianity Stack Exchange. 1:14), was ever a member of the Sanhedrin. (Acts 23:6) - ninthamigo Mar 23, 2021 at 4:26 Welcome to Christianity Stack Exchange. There have been several attempts to implement Maimonides' recommendations by Rabbi Jacob Berab in 1538, Rabbi Yisroel Shklover in 1830, Rabbi Aharon Mendel haCohen in 1901, Rabbi Zvi Kovsker in 1940, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Maimon in 1949, and a group of Israeli rabbis in 2004. This rule had nothing to do with whether full Israelites could be seated in the Sanhedrin if they were single. I think that generally speaking, it's just a guess, and not really spoken of. The author also points out that a "Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5). On the other side (that Paul was not married), the evidence is far more convincing. Acts 26:10-11: Read: 15 Purim Facts Every Jew Should Know 2.