November 29, 330 C.E. Emperor Constantine I the Great (306-337)

Synagogues and the Sanhedrin

Exemption of Jewish Religious Leaders from Community Service

Those who dedicated themselves with complete devotion to the synagogues of the Jews, to the patriarchs, or to the Sanhedrin, while living in the above-mentioned group, it is they who preside over the law, shall continue to be exempt from all liturgies [community services], personal as well as civil; in such a way that those that happen to be decurions [city council members] already shall not be designated to transportations* of any kind, for it would be appropriate that people such as these shall not be compelled for whatever reason to depart for the places in which they are. Those however, who are definitely not decurions, shall enjoy perpetual exemption from the decurionate [i.e., such persons are partially exempt from community service].

[* transportation service could be, for example, the duty to transport food for the army.]

Source:  Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations