A steep hill led down towards the entrance of Saint Peter in Gallicantu when we heard the mysterious muffled crow of a rooster. Although we eventually found the source of the sound, it seemed an appropriate welcome as we entered the nearby courtyard.
Saint Peter in Gallicantu, translated as St. Peter at the Cock’s Crow, is the supposed location where the apostle of Jesus, Peter, denied knowing Jesus as He was brought before the Sanhedrin. Today, a beautifully restored French Catholic church stands in the place of this event documented in the biblical account of Mark 14: 53 – 65. Also considered the courtyard of the High Priest Caiaphas, a statue commemorates the famous denial which includes Peter and the woman who questioned him, a Roman soldier and the rooster. An inscription on the statue states “But he denied him saying, “Woman, I know him not” as recorded in Luke 22:57.
The modern church, with four separate levels, was built into the hillside in 1931 to replace the early chapels previously constructed on the site. A golden rooster was mounted on top of a black cross to memorialize the event.
Entering through the gorgeous wrought iron doors, we noticed beautiful mosaics dating back to the Byzantine era, which may have been a part of the floor of an early church. Through the doors of the upper church’s sanctuary, our eyes were immediately drawn to the ceiling with a spectacular multi-colored window shaped like a cross. Several mosaics hang from the wall to include a scene from the Last Supper and Jesus at Caiaphas’ palace being questioned.
A level below the main sanctuary is another chapel that is surrounded by stones from an ancient grotto. One of the most interesting aspects of this room is a glass covered hole in the stone. A sign explains the fifth-century crosses engraved in the stone and one can see a lower level that may have existed during the time of the Second Temple.
An ancient staircase located on the north side of the church leads down towards the Kidron Valley and may have been used during the First Temple Period. Some people suggest it was the route that Jesus followed down to the Garden of Gethsemane the night of His arrest.
Our guide led us to another set of stairs towards the basement where the guardroom and crypt were located. Recent excavations suggest that they were Roman era homes with cellars, baths, mill, storage units, cisterns and barns. Metal hooks were once thought to have been prisoner chains which may have helped to detain Jesus by fastening His hands and feet as He was flogged. The bowls carved into the ground were said to have held salt and vinegar to intensify the pain or used to clean out the wounds. If this was in fact a home, the chains could have been used to tether their animals while the “bowls” would have been used as feeding troughs.
Looking down through the glass covered shaft, the bottom level may have held Christ the night before He was crucified, known as Christ’s Prison. Some references suggest that prisoners would have been placed in the cell through a shaft lowered down by a rope harness. In fact, there is a mosaic located on the south wall of the church which shows Jesus in a similar type of harness.
Archaeologists are unable to agree whether or not Jesus’ trial took place in the courtyard and if Jesus was incarcerated in the lower network of caves. Many suggest that the High Priest was most likely in the Armenian district of Old Jerusalem where the Herodian upper class homes would have been located or in the current Jewish Quarter among the high priestly family estates. Yet, regardless of the controversy, this site is the perfect reminder of the events that took place in Jesus’ life prior to his execution and worth visiting during one’s pilgrimage to Israel.
And as we climbed the steep road away from Saint Peter in Gallicantu, we once again heard the cock crow in the distance.
What to See and What to Do:
Saint Peter in Gallicantu
Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 972 2 673739
*Administered by the Augustinians of the Assumption
- Admission: No admission fee but donations are welcome
- Hours: Open 8 – 5 daily
- Scenic View: The Upper Room looks down upon the entrance and courtyard
- Tips: if you are not visiting Saint Peter in Gallicantu on a tour, contact the Augustinians of the Assumption by calling the phone number provided.
Where to Stay:
The Olive Tree Hotel, Royal Plaza Jerusalem
23 St. George Street
Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 972 2 5410410
Where to Eat:
The Olive Tree Hotel, Royal Plaza Jerusalem
23 St. George Street
Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 972 2 5410410
The Olive Tree Hotel has an amazing buffet provided for dinner with a well-rounded offering of Israeli dishes and world-wide cuisine.
What to Eat:
- Kubbeh is similar to falafal in that it is served in a ball but made with meat and spices then deep fried.
- Manqusheh is similar to pizza made with flatbread topped with olive oil and spice (usually za’atar which is similar to thyme)
- Ka’ak is a large pretzel like pastry that is usually eaten at breakfast time. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are readily available at bakeries and roadside stalls.
- Potato swirls are similar to french fries, cut and deep fried.
- Qatayef is a pancake-style dessert stuffed with cheese, nuts or sugar and spices and are popular during the Ramadan holiday
- Kunafeh is a pastry similar to baklava covered in syrup and cheese
What to Read:
- Khirbet Khizeh by S. Y. Yizhar
- The Hilltop, by Assaf Gavron
- Dancing Arabs by Sayed Kashua
- The People of Forever are Not Afraid, by Shani Boianjiu
- Five Seasons, by A.B. Yehoshua
- Twenty-One Stories by S. Y. Agnon
- Suddenly, A Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret
- Apples from the Desert, by Savyon Liebrecht
- From the Four Winds, by Haim Sabato
- To the End of the Land, by David Grossman
- A Tale of Love and Darkness, by Amos Oz
Photo Guide for Israel:
- The Western Wall for a religious experience
- Jaffa’s Old Town for its charm
- The Dead Sea for its interesting topography
- Caesarea Harbor and its Roman architecture and history are worth a visit
- Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve provides a phenomenal view of the Sea of Galilee
- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old City Jerusalem is said to be the burial location of Jesus
- The view of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives
