[Avodah] Kategor and Sanegor

[Zev Sero]

On 28/09/2011 9:32 AM, Micha Berger wrote:
> Someone asked me on the way into work this morning...
>
> Kategoros and sanegoros are Greek terms. And in fact, we don't have
> lawyers in beis din. (In the adversarial/advoacate sense of the word,
> although to'anim do serve as representatives.)
>
> So why is the metaphor used on Yamim Noraim taken from the Roman judicial
> system -- arkaos?

AIUI we do have kategorim and sanegorim in a BD; they are not lawyers
but the dayanim who after hearing the evidence take sides and speak
either for or against the accused, trying to convince the other dayanim
to agree with them.

-- 
Zev Sero        If they use these guns against us once, at that moment
zev at sero.name   the Oslo Accord will be annulled and the IDF will
                 return to all the places that have been given to them.
		                            - Yitzchak Rabin