When I entered the council‐chamber, I found all seated as before, but in the midst was a smaller table, at which was seated a scribe, with a roll in front of him. Then Hanan the High Priest came in, and said, “Ye have all had the time of deliberation prescribed by our sages in capital cases, or at least as much time as the urgency of the matter permits. We must proceed to the formal ratification of this man’s sentence, for I cannot doubt that ye will see fit to confirm the righteous judgment which your zeal for the Lord caused you to pass just now upon this man. And again I would bid you remember you are voting, not so much for this man’s death, as whether he is to be delivered to the Romans. Scribe, read the roll.” And with that the scribe began to read our names, and we all answered to them. Then said Hanan, “We will now proceed to the voting,” and called upon Chananyah ben Nedebai to record his vote. And he voted as before, for death. Then each in his turn, and all voted as before. And when my name was called upon I arose and hesitated, and Hanan looked over to me and said, “Thou speakest here by our courtesy, Meshullam ben Zadok; if thou disagree with the unanimous opinion of thy colleagues, thou hadst best instruct us in thy reasons. What sayest thou? Is not he guilty of death who is guilty of blasphemy against the Most High?” “Yea,” said I. “And was not this man Jesus manifestly guilty of blasphemy before us?” “Yea,” said I. Then said Hanan swiftly to the scribe, “He voteth for death,” and waved me down to my seat. And thereafter all the remaining members of the Council voted for death, finishing with Hanan as the oldest, who merely gave a grim nod to the scribe.