The Council of Jamnia, also known as the Council of Yavneh or the Council of Jabneh, was a historic gathering of Jewish scholars that took place around the end of the first century CE (70-90 AD). The council met in the village of Jamnia (Jabneh), located near modern-day Tel Aviv, Israel.
The purpose of this council was to address matters of religious authority and to make decisions regarding the canonization and interpretation of Jewish religious texts, particularly the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. It was convened in the aftermath of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the subsequent dispersion of the Jewish people.
At the Council of Jamnia, Jewish sages discussed and debated the legitimacy of various religious writings, evaluating their authenticity and spiritual significance. It is believed that during this council, the Jewish canon of the Hebrew Bible was solidified, finalizing the acceptance of the existing books as divinely inspired and authoritative.
However, the specifics of the Council of Jamnia's deliberations and decisions remain somewhat uncertain, as there are limited historical records documenting the event. The accounts of this council come primarily from late sources and scholarly deductions.
While some earlier theories suggested that the Council of Jamnia played a central role in excluding certain books from the Hebrew Bible, such as the Apocrypha or the deuterocanonical books, modern scholarship has challenged this view. Many scholars now believe that the exclusion of these books occurred at different times and under different circumstances, rather than being a direct outcome of the Council of Jamnia.
