13.The degeneration of the PEHS
The degeneration of the post-exilic Hebrew Sanhedrins The ’Sanhedrin’ mentioned in our last citation from Owen was one in a system of graded Courts, comprising of at least the Lesser Sanhedrin and the Greater Sanhedrin. References in the Older Testament to the roots and perhaps too even the first buddings of the then- developing Sanhedrins, include: Deu 17:6-10; Deu 19:11-15 : Ezr 5:5-11; Ezr 6:7-14; Ezr 10:8; Neh 2:16; Neh 4:13-21; Neh 7:4-7f.
References to the Sanhedrins in uninspired intertestamental Hebrew writings are found inter alia also in II Macc. 1:10; 4:44; Jth. 4:8; 11:14; 15:8; Josephus’ Antiquities IV:8:41; and, in particular, Sanhedrin 1:6f. References in the inspired Newer Testament to the by- then-degenerated sanhedrins, corrupted from Hebrew Trinitarianism into Judaistic
Unitarianism, are found in: Mat 5:22; Mat 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luk 22:66; Jh. 11:47; Acts 4:15; Acts 5:21; Acts 6:12; Acts 22:5; Acts 22:30.
Acts 5:21 refers to "the Council and all the Senate of the children of Israel." The original Greek here has to Sunedrion kai pasan teen Gerousian toon huioon Israeel where Sunedrion means "the sitting of the Board"; and where Gerousia means "Senate of Elders."
Jerome’s Vulgate here has Concilium, which means "Council"; and Seniores, which means "Senators" alias "Elders."
Also Acts 22:5 refers to "all the estate of the Elders." There the New Testament Greek has pan to Presbuterion alias "the entire Presbyteriate." The Vulgate has omnesMajores, alias "all of the Major [Officers]." These Judaistic Courts had apostasized from the Trinitarianism of the Older Testament to the later Unitarianism of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. As Owen observes (II:273) "The Jews, in the time of our Saviour’s converse on the earth, being fallen greatly from the faith and worship of their forefathers, and ready to sink into their last and utmost apostasy from God, seem amongst many other truths to have much lost that of the doctrine of the holy Trinity and of the person of the Messiah."