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In its origin it was the municipal council of Jerusalem (so also
the councils of provincial towns are called synedria, Mark xiii. 9),
but its authority extended over the entire Jewish community;
alongside of the elders of the city the ruling priests were those
who had the greatest number of seats and votes. John Hyrcanus
appears to have been the first to introduce some scribes into its
composition; it is possible that Salome may have increased their
number, but even so this high court was far from being changed into
a college of scribes like that at Jamnia. If the domination of the
Pharisees at this time is spoken of, the expression cannot be
understood as meaning that they already held all the public
offices, but only at most that the holders of those offices found
it necessary to administer and to judge in their spirit and
according to their fundamental principles.
The party of the Sadducees (consisting of the old Hasmonaean
officers and officials, who were of priestly family indeed, but
attached only slight importance to their priestly functions) at
length lost all patience.
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