- SANCTUARY denotes, (1) the Holy Land (Exodus 15:17; comp. Psalm
114:2); (2) the temple (1 Chronicles 22:19; 2 Chronicles 29:21); (3) the
tabernacle (Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 12:4; 21:12); (4) the holy place, the
place of the Presence (Gr. hieron, the temple-house; not the naos, which is
the temple area, with its courts and porches), Leviticus 4:6; Ephesians
2:21, R.V., marg.; (5) God’s holy habitation in heaven (Psalm 102:19). In
the final state there is properly “no sanctuary” (Revelation 21:22), for
God and the Lamb “are the sanctuary” (R.V., “temple”). All is there
hallowed by the Divine Presence; all is sancturary. - SANDALS Mentioned only in Mark 6:9 and Acts 12:8. The sandal was
simply a sole, made of wood or palm-bark, fastened to the foot by leathern
straps. Sandals were also made of seal-skin (Ezekiel 16:10; lit. tahash,
“leather;” A.V., “badger’s skin;” R.V., “sealskin,” or marg.,
“porpoise-skin”). (See SHOE.) - SANHEDRIM more correctly Sanhedrin (Gr. synedrion), meaning “a
sitting together,” or a “council.” This word (rendered “council,” A.V.) is
frequently used in the New Testament (Matthew 5:22; 26:59; Mark 15:1,
etc.) to denote the supreme judicial and administrative council of the Jews,
which, it is said, was first instituted by Moses, and was composed of
seventy men (Numbers 11:16, 17). But that seems to have been only a
temporary arrangement which Moses made. This council is with greater
probability supposed to have originated among the Jews when they were
under the domination of the Syrian kings in the time of the Maccabees.
The name is first employed by the Jewish historian Josephus. This
“council” is referred to simply as the “chief priests and elders of the
people” (Matthew 26:3, 47, 57, 59; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, etc.), before whom
Christ was tried on the charge of claiming to be the Messiah. Peter and
John were also brought before it for promulgating heresy (Acts. 4:1-23;
5:17-41); as was also Stephen on a charge of blasphemy (6:12-15), and
Paul for violating a temple by-law (22:30; 23:1-10).
The Sanhedrin is said to have consisted of seventy-one members, the high
priest being president. They were of three classes (1) the chief priests, or
heads of the twenty-four priestly courses (1 Chronicles 24), (2) the
scribes, and (3) the elders. As the highest court of judicature, “in all causes
and over all persons, ecclesiastical and civil, supreme,” its decrees were
binding, not only on the Jews in Palestine, but on all Jews wherever
scattered abroad. Its jurisdiction was greatly curtailed by Herod, and