Jewish communities throughout the world have had a court system separate from that of the surrounding non-Jewish communty called a "beit din". This three-member panel of judges is headed by the "Av Beit Din" (ABD). The project here seeks to compile a list of historical and contemporary chief judges.

• Beit Din & Judges From Bible to Modern Times

Biblical Judges & Davidic Dynasty of Judea and Kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel - ca 1500BCE – 586BCE - שופטים, מלכי בית דוד וממלכת ישראל

In The Diaspora - בגלות

Exilarchs - 586BCE – 1040CE - ראשי גלותא

In the Land of Israel - 140BCE – 92CE - בארץ ישראל

Hasmonean Kingdom of Israel, Kings & High Priests - 140BCE – 37 BCE - ממלכת החשמונאים, מלכים וכהנים גדולים

House of Herod - 37BCE – 92CE - מלכות בית הורדוס

The Great Sanhedrin - 170BCE – 429CE - סנהדרין הגדולה

In Jerusalem - 1525–1920 - בירושלים

Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem - 1525–1565 - ראשי רבני ירושלים

• Levi ibn Habib לוי בן חביב (b. 1480 Spain; d. 1541 Jerusalem) Term: 1525-1541
• David ibn abi Zimra דוד בן זימרא - הרדב״ז - The Radbaz (b. 1479 Spain; d. 1573 Safed) [Hakham Bashi of Egypt]. Term: 1545-1549?
• Moshe Galante I משה גלנטי-הזקן of Rome (b. 1520 Rome; d. 1612 Safed). Term: mostly from Safed 1550-1577?
• Haim Vital חיים ויטאל (b. 1542 Safed; d. 1620 Damascus). Term: 1577-1585.
• Bezalel Ashkenazi בצלאל אשכנזי (b. Eretz Israel 1520-1592). Term: 1587-1594
• Gedaliah Cordovero גדליה קורדוברו (b. 1562 Safed; d. 1625 Jerusalem) Term: ?
• Isaac Gaon?
• Israel Benjamin (b. ). Term: ?
• Jacob Zemah יעקב צמח (b. 1570/1584? Portugal; d. Jerusalem? 1667). Term: ?
• Samuel Garmison שמואל גארמיזאן (b. 1605 Greece; d. 1675 Jerusalem). Term: ?

The Rishon LeZion - 1665–1842 - הרבנים הראשונים לציון

• Moshe Galante II משה גלנטי השני (b. 1620-1689) First Rishon Le-Zion. Term: 1665-1689.
• Moses ibn Habib משה אבן חביב (b. 1654 Greece; d. 1696 Jerusalem), Term: 1689 - 1696.
• Moshe Hayun
• Avraham Yitzhaki אברהם יצחקי (b. Jerusalem 1661-1729). Term: 1715-1722.
• Benjamin Maali בנימין הכהן מעלי
• Eleazar Nahum אליעזר נחום (b. 1661 Istanbul; d. 1744 Jerusalem) Term: ?-1744.
• Nissim Mizrahi נסים חיים משה מזרחי (b. 1690-1749) Term: 1745-1749.
• Israel Algazy ישראל יעקב אלגאזי (b. 1680 Izmir; d. 1757 Jerusalem) Term: 1756-1757.
• Raphael Meyuhas רפאל מיוחס (b. 1695-1771). Term: 1757–1771.
• Haim ben Asher חיים רפאל אברהם בן-אשר. (d. 1772 Jerusalem). Term: 1771-1772.
• Yom Tov Algazy יום טוב אלגאזי (b. 1727 Izmir; d. 1802 Jerusalem) —during whose reign, the French armies of Napoleon invaded Palestine. Term: 1772-1802.
• Moshe Meyuhas משה יוסף מרדכי מיוחס (b. Jerusalem 1738-1806) .Term: 1802–1805.
• Jacob Aish יעקב משה עייאש (b. 1727 Algiers; d. 1817 Jerusalem). Term: 1806-1817.
• Jacob Coral יעקב קוראל (d. 1818 Jerusalem) Term: 1817-1818.
• Joseph Hazzan יוסף רפאל חזן (b.1741 Turkey; d. 1822 Jerusalem). Term: 1819-1822.
• Yom Tov Danon יום טוב דאנון (b. Turkey, d. 1823 Jerusalem). Term: 1822-1823.
• Solomon Suzin שלמה משה סוזין (d. 1835 Jerusalem) —in 1831, Palestine was briefly conquered by Egypt under Muhammad Ali. Term: 1824-1835.
• Jonah Moshe Navon יונה משה נבון (d. 1841) Palestine returned to the Ottoman Empire. Term: 1837-1841.
• Judah Navon יהודה נבון (d. 1844) Term: 1842

The Hakham Bashi/Rishon Le-Zion - 1842–1918 - החכם באשי של ירושלים והראשון לציון

• Avraham Haim Gaggin חיים אברהם גאגין (b. 1787 Turkey; d. 1848 Jerusalem)/ First Hakham Bashi of Eretz Israel. Term: 1842-1848
• Isaac Kovo יצחק קובו (b. 1770 Jerusalem/Salonica?; d. 1854 Alexandria). Term: 1848/1851-1854.
• Chaim Nissim Abulafia חיים נסים אבולעפיה (b. 1795, Tiberias; d. 1860, Jerusalem). Term: 1854-1860.
• Haim Hazzan חיים דוד חזן (b. 1790 Turkey; d. 1869 Jerusalem). Term: 1861-1869.
• Avraham Ashkenazi (b. 1881, Greece; d.1880, Jerusalem). Term: 1869-1880.
• Raphael Panigel רפאל פאניז'ל (b. 1804, Bulgaria; d. 1893, Jerusalem) 'Term: 1890 - 1893.
• Jacob Saul Eliachar יעקב שאול אלישר (b. 1817-1906). ABD in 1869; Hakham Bashi 1893-1904.
• Jacob Meir יעקב מאיר (b. 1856-1939) Hakham Basi 1906 (resigned).
• Eliahu Panigel אליהו משה פאנז'יל (b. 1850-1919) Rishon Le-Zion 1907-1909
• Nahman Batito נחמן בטיטו (b. 1848-1914). Term: 1909-1914
• Nissim Yehuda Danon נסים יהודה דנון (b. 1874 Jerusalem; d. 1930 Morocco). Last Turkish appointed Hakham Bashi & Rishon Le Zion 1915 -1918. In 1917 Palestine was occupied by the British.
• Haim Moshe Eliashar חיים משה אלישר (b. Jerusalem 1845-1924) Acting Chief Rabbi & Rishon LeZion, Term: 1918-1920.

Chief Rabbinate of Israel - הרבנות הראשית לישראל

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel (הרבנות הראשית לישראל) is recognized by law as the supreme halakhic and spiritual authority for the Jewish people in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Council assists the two chief rabbis, who alternate in its presidency. It has legal and administrative authority to organize religious arrangements for Israel's Jews. It also responds to halakhic questions submitted by Jewish public bodies in the Diaspora. The Council sets guides, and supervises agencies within its authority.

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel consists of two Chief Rabbis: an Ashkenazi rabbi and a Sephardi rabbi, also known as the Rishon leZion. The Chief Rabbis are elected for 10 year terms.

The Chief Rabbis of Eretz Israel - 1920–1948 - הרבנים הראשיים לארץ ישראל בתקופת המנדט הבריטי

• Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook (Term: 1921-1935) & Yaakov Meir יעקב מאיר (Term: 1921-1939)
• Yitzhak Halevi Herzog יצחק הלוי הרצוג (Term: 1936-1948) & Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel בן ציון מאיר חי עוזיאל (Term: 1939-1948)

Chief Rabbis of the State of Israel הרבנים הראשיים לישראל

• Yitzhak Halevi Herzog יצחק הלוי הרצוג (Term: 1948-1959) & Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel בן ציון מאיר חי עוזיאל (Term: 1948-1954)
• Issar Yehuda Unterman איסר יהודה אונטרמן (Term: 1964-1973) & Yitzhak Nissin יצחק נסים (Term: 1955-1972)
• Shlomo Goren שלמה גורן (Term: 1973-1983) & Ovadia Yossef מרן עובדיה יוסף (Term: 1973-1983)
• Avraham Elkana Shapira אברהם אלקנה שפירא (Term: 1983-1993) & Mordechai Eliyahu מרדכי צמח אליהו (Term: 1983-1993)
• Israel Meir Lau ישראל מאיר לאו (Term: 1993-2003) & Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron אליהו בקשי-דורון (Term: 1993-2003)
• Yona Yehiel Metzger יונה יחיאל מצגר (Term: 2003-2013) &Shlomo Moshe Ammar שלמה משה עמר (Term: 2003-2013)
• David Lau דוד לאו (Term: 2013 - ) & Yitzhak Yossef יצחק יוסף (Term: 2013 - ) term till 2023