Av Beth Din

Av Beit Din (also Av Beth Din, Ashkenazi Av Beis Din , Hebrew אב בית דין 'Lord of Judgment' ) was the second highest rank of the Sanhedrin . This high council formed the supreme Jewish religious and political authority at the time of the so-called Second Temple (completed 515 BC) until its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD . He was also the supreme court. The Av Beit Din was the direct representative of the Nasi , the "prince". The Av Beit Din were considered chacham (wise).

Today the title has become the name of the chairman of a Beth Din ("Rabbinical Court"), who is often at the same time the Grand Rabbi of a Jewish community. The letters ABD often follow the name of a chief rabbi.

Web links

• Bet Din. In: ark.de. General Rabbinical Conference , accessed January 2, 2018 . 
• The Beit Din - task and function. In: ordonline.de. Orthodox Rabbinical Conference , accessed January 2, 2018 . 
• Marcus Jastrow , Louis Ginzberg : Bet Din. In: Jewish Encyclopedia . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .