Related%20passage for Sanhedrin 1:4

דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. הָרוֹבֵעַ וְהַנִּרְבָּע, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כ) וְהָרַגְתָּ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה, וְאוֹמֵר (שם) וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה תַּהֲרֹגוּ. שׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא) הַשּׁוֹר יִסָּקֵל וְגַם בְּעָלָיו יוּמָת, כְּמִיתַת בְּעָלִים כָּךְ מִיתַת הַשּׁוֹר. הַזְּאֵב וְהָאֲרִי, הַדֹּב וְהַנָּמֵר וְהַבַּרְדְּלָס וְהַנָּחָשׁ, מִיתָתָן בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַקּוֹדֵם לְהָרְגָן, זָכָה. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִיתָתָן בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה:

Capital cases require twenty-three judges. (Judgment of) the active and the passive participant in sodomy requires twenty-three, it being written (Leviticus 20:16): "And you shall kill the woman and the beast," [the active participant, which is likened to the woman. Just as the woman (is judged) by twenty-three, so is the beast in this instance], and it is written (Ibid. 15): "and the beast (in this instance, the passive participant) shall you kill" — whence we derive (twenty-three judges for) the active and the passive participant.] An ox facing stoning requires twenty-three judges, it being written (Exodus 21:29): "The ox shall be stoned, and also its owner shall die" — As the death of the owner, so is the death of the ox [i.e., Just as the owner in capital cases is judged by twenty-three, so, etc.] The death (by stoning) of the wolf, the lion, the bear, the tiger, the leopard, and the snake requires twenty-three judges. R. Eliezer says: Whoever is first to kill them merits it, [and it is not necessary to bring them to beth-din.] R. Akiva says: Their death requires twenty-three judges. [The Gemara explains that the first tanna and R. Akiva differ with respect to a snake. The first tanna requires twenty-three judges for putting a snake to death, whereas R. Akiva requires that number for wolf, lion, bear, tiger, and leopard, whereas with a snake — "Whoever comes first merits it"; for he rids the world of a scourge. The halachah is in accordance with R. Akiva.]

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