Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin is the name given in the mishna to the body of seventy one sages who constituted the supreme court and legislative body in Judea during the Roman period.The Sanhedrin traces its lineage back to its formation in the time of Moses, although the Greek root for the word suggests that the institution may have developed during the Hellenic period. The Sanhedrin ceased to exist some time after the destruction of the Second Temple.
One of the requirements of being a member of the Sanhedrin is having received semicha. According to Rabbinic tradition, Semicha was transmitted in an unbroken line extending back to Moses.
The Sanhedrin as a body claimed powers that other courts did not have. As such, they were the only ones who could try the king, extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put.
The Jewish anticipation for the arrival of the Messiah includes the reconstitution of this body of sages.