The Church of St. Peter Gallicantu, what does it mean? Gallicantu is a Latin word meaning cock-crow. This church, built in 1931, was erected on the traditional place where Peter denied Christ three times. (Mark 14.30) It is also believed by many to be on or near the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest in Jesus’ day.
In the Pilgrim of Bordeaux, an anonymous pilgrim to the Holy Land circa 333-334 A.D., writes, “…going up from the Pool of Siloe to Mount Zion one would come across the house of the Priest Caiaphas.” (quoted by E. D. Hunt, Holy Land Pilgrimage in the Late Roman Empire AD 312-460,1982).
Atop the sanctuary roof, a golden rooster protrudes, reminding the visitor of this biblical event. In the courtyard of the church, there is a statue that describes the events of Mark 14. The statue consists of a Roman soldier, a young maid and servant, Peter, and atop the statue, a rooster. The inscription has part of Luke’s account, “…but he denied him saying, ‘Woman, I don’t know him’” (Luke 22.57).
There are a series of carved chambers beneath the church. Since tradition places the palace of Caiaphas on this site, many believe that Jesus may have been imprisoned in one of these underground crypts after his arrest. Visitors can look down a hole in the center of the sanctuary to see caves that may have been part of a Byzantine shrine. Their walls are engraved with crosses left there by fifth-century Christians.
Another feature outside the church’s north side is an ancient rock staircase that leads down toward the Kidron Valley. It may have been a passage for the upper city to the lower city in the first Temple period. If so, it could possibly have been the path Jesus followed down to Gethsemane on the night of His arrest.
There is a landing of sorts, where most tourists gather for orientation. From that vantage point are some of the most spectacular views of the southern Temple Mount wall, the Mt. of Olives, and an area believed to be Potter’s Field, where Judas, the betrayer, hanged himself.
Comments
Post a Comment