What is the Chair of Moses (the Seat of Moses)?

The chair of Moses was a phrase used by Jesus in Matthew 23:2 to signify the place of authority that the Scribes and Pharisees had in interpreting The Law and exercising their authority over the Jewish people. They are the ones who would tell the people of Israel what the law of Moses "really" meant. The phrase is found only in this verse. In Greek the phrase is Μωσέως καθέδρας (Moses kathedras), and is literally "Moses' seat." It is translated as "Moses' seat" in the ASV, KJV, ESV, NET, NIV. The translation is "chair of Moses" in the HCSB and NASB.