TheHall of Hewn Stones (Hebrew:לִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית,romanized: liškaṯ haggāziṯ), also known as theChamber of Hewn Stone, was the meeting place, or council-chamber, of theSanhedrin during theSecond Temple period (6th century BCE – 1st century CE). TheTalmud deduces that it was built into the north wall of theTemple in Jerusalem, half inside the sanctuary and half outside, with doors providing access both to the temple and to the outside. The chamber is said to have resembled abasilica in appearance,^[1] having two entrances: one in the east and one in the west.^[2] Buildings in the temple complex used forritual purposes had to be constructed of unhewn stones. (The Torah prohibits the use of hewn stones or those touched by iron for the altar perEx 20:22,Deut 27:6. Various reasons have been given for the prohibition, among them: the purpose of the Temple is peace, while iron implements are used in war; the Temple lengthens human life while iron shortens it; the hewing of stones is an invitation to carving images in them, violating the prohibition againstidolatry; and the sword references the earthly power ofEsau, not the spiritual power ofJacob/Israel.)^[3]

According to the Talmud, the Hall of Hewn Stones is the traditional meeting place of the GreatSanhedrin when it functioned as a court with full sovereign powers including the power to impose criminal penalties.^[4]

It has been taught; R. Jose said; Originally there were not many disputes in Israel, but oneBeth din of seventy-one members sat in the Hall of Hewn Stones, and two courts of twenty-three sat, one at the entrance of the Temple Mount and one at the door of the [Temple] Court, and other courts of twenty-three sat in all Jewish cities. If a matter of inquiry arose, the local Beth din was consulted. If they had a tradition [thereon] they stated it; if not, they went to the nearest Beth din. If they had a tradition thereon, they stated it, if not, they went to the Beth din situated at the entrance to the Temple Mount; if they had a tradition, they stated it; if not, they went to the one situated at the entrance of the Court, and he [who differed from his colleagues] declared, 'Thus have I expounded, and thus have my colleagues expounded; thus have I taught, and thus have they taught.' If they had a tradition thereon, they stated it, and if not, they all proceeded to the Hall of Hewn Stones, where they [i.e., the Great Sanhedrin] sat from the morning tamid until the evening tamid; on Sabbaths and festivals they sat within the hall.

The Sanhedrin stopped meeting in the Hall of Hewn Stones when theRoman Empire restricted Judaea's autonomy and removed the Sanhedrin's power to impose criminal penalties.^{[citation needed]}

• Schiffman, Lawrence H.From Text to Tradition, a History of Judaism in Second Temple and Rabbinic Times. Jerusalem: Ktav, 1991.
• Zeitlin, Solomon.The Rise and Fall of the Judean State: A Political, Social and Religious History of the Second Commonwealth. New York: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1967.
• The SanhedrinArchived 2006-10-17 at theWayback Machine,Aryeh Kaplan

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• Sanhedrin

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