ISB ~ Mark 14 v55

the whole council:The Sanhedrin, the supreme court of the Jews, which convened in Jerusalem (15:1; Acts 5:27; 23:1). Its origin is traced to the second century B.C., and its primary role was to enforce Jewish law and custom. Fully assembled, the Sanhedrin probably consisted of 71 members: (1) the reigning “high priest”, who headed the court, (2) the “elders” of Jerusalem’s leading families, (3) “chief priests” who had held the office of high priest, and (4) “scribes”, or professional lawyers who were experts in the Law of Moses. Several members were also aligned with the Pharisees or Sadducees (Acts 23:6-10). Under Roman rule, the Sanhedrin retained considerable freedom to regulate the civil and religious affairs of Jewish life. Only the right to administer capital punishment was denied them (Jn 18:31).