(Mishnah): They interrogated the witnesses with seven Chakiros - which Shemitah cycle of Yovel (was it when they saw the testimony), which year in the Shemitah cycle, which month, which day of the month, which day of the week, what hour of the day, and the place;

R. Yosi says, [we ask only] which day, what hour, and the place.

We ask [also questions relevant to the case,] e.g. did you recognize him (e.g. whether or not a murder victim was a Yisrael), did you warn [the transgressor]? If he served idolatry, which [idol] did he serve, and how did he serve it?

(Gemara): We did not teach that we ask which Yovel, for it is not common [that they testify about something more than 49 years ago].

(Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Yochai): [We ask even] which Yovel.

We establish this to be [in the Yovel year - we ask whether it was] the entering Yovel or the previous Yovel.

Question: What is the source for seven Chakiros?

Answer #1 (Shmuel ha'Zaken in front of R. Acha): [We learn from the seven words in the verse of Ir ha'Nidachas] "v'Darashta v'Chakarta v'Sha'alta Heitev v'Hinei Emes Nachon.''

Rebuttal (R. Acha): You should not learn from the entire verse! (If so, you should learn an eighth from "ha'Davar''!)

Answer #2: Rather, [we learn four] from "v'Darashta v'Chakarta v'Sha'alta Heitev.'' It says [about idolatry] "v'Hugad Lecha v'Shamata v'Sha'alta Heitev'' [three expressions of investigation]. We learn from the Gezeirah Shavah Heitev-Heitev to apply Shemu'ah, She'elah, Drishah and Chakirah (i.e. add the four to the three).

Question (R. Yitzchak): If [the witnesses] were holding a bandit in Tiverya and they say "this person was killed, and this person killed [him just now], how can we have seven Chakiros? (If they are mid'Oraisa, they are Me'akev! ZAHAV HA'ARETZ - it mentions Tiverya, for we say below that there is a Chazakah that people there are Yisraelim, so the witnesses need not recognize the victims.)

Answer (Isi): Whenever the witnesses can be Huzam for that testimony, the murderer is not killed [without the seven Chakiros. However, when they say that he killed here just now, they cannot be Huzam. Therefore, we do not need the seven Chakiros.]

[The Mishnah said] did you recognize him, i.e. was [the victim] a Nochri or a Yisrael.

Question: [If the witness] said "I do not know'', what is the law?

Answer: We learn from what R. Yochanan said, that if someone was killed between Tiverya and Tzipori, there is a Chazakah that he was a Yisrael. (When there is a Chazakah, we are not concerned if the witnesses did not know. It seems that this is like R. Yochanan holds, that Hasra'as Safek is Hasra'ah.)