Dispatches from the Holy Land: St. Peter in Gallicantu
Yesterday our little band of pilgrims began our first full day in the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. As part of our journey we travelled down the Mt.of Olives through the Garden of Gethsemane and then to the house of Caiphas--the High Priest. Caiphas' house is underneath a French church that is called St. Peter in Gallicantu which means St. Peter of the Crowing Cock--named for the moment when Peter realizes that he has indeed done exactly as he said he would never do and denied Jesus not once but three times. If you recall Peter waited outside in the courtyard of the house while Jesus was being held and beaten on the inside. Below the house of Caiphas there is a pit that was filled in during the first century converting what had once been a ceremonial bath. The only way into the pit was through a hole that one had to be lowered into from above by ropes. Jesus was left in this pit no doubt probably manacled to a spot on the ceiling of the pit itself. Once the t...