Sanhedrin

How big do you think the Sanhedrin was? Somehow I pictured the Sanhedrin as a small group of leaders that put Jesus on trial. But from reading A Visual Guide to Bible Events (VGBE) and The Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC) I found out that there were 71 men that made up the Sanhedrin. That's not the small group I was thinking it was.

They met in the Temple complex and were known as the Great Sanhedrin. "Great" probably because it was actually composed of three courts made up of 23 members. Each member, like any court system today, had to know the law very well. They also had to have a good reputation, be over thirty and married. (Thompson Chain Reference Bible)

According to VGBE, in order to have a trial leading to the death penalty there had to be 23 members of the great Sanhedrin present to hold court. Interesting.

According to the BKC, Jewish law requires that a trial be done during the day. Also interesting. So in writing about the cock crowing three times we not only get the story of Peter's denials but we also see the start of a new day and the start of the official trial against Jesus. (Matthew 26; Mark 15)