The Great Sanhedrin had 71 judges, derived from the 70 elders plus Moses gathered in Numbers 11:16.
Question 2
What is the minimum population a city must have to warrant appointing a minor Sanhedrin of 23?
A city needs 120 adult males to support the full structure: 23 judges, 3 rows of 23 students, plus scribes, officers, litigants, witnesses, and others.
Question 3
How many rows of Torah scholars sat before a minor Sanhedrin?
Three rows of 23 scholars sat before each minor Sanhedrin, arranged by level of wisdom, ready to be promoted to the court if needed.
Question 4
In the diaspora, the obligation to establish courts in every region is:
The verse says 'in all your gates which God your Lord is giving you,' limiting the Torah commandment to Eretz Yisrael. Diaspora courts are rabbinic.
Question 5
What happens if a city lacks two sufficiently qualified scholars?
The Rambam rules that without the minimum scholarly qualifications, a court cannot be established regardless of the city's size.