Saint-Peter-in-Gallicantu Church

According to tradition, this was the place of the palace of high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was brought to jail after his arrest. Gallicantu, means the 'cock's crow' and the church commemorates the incident mentioned in Gospels, where Peter denies Christ three times and the cock crew twice (Mark 14:26-72; Luke 27:34-61). In the court yard of the church is a statue that describes the events (see 4 and 5P). The current church (built in 1931) is built on the ruins of a Byzantine church that stood here(built in 457AD). It was later destroyed in 1010, and rebuilt by the Crusaders in 1102 . The church was in ruins again in 1320, and rebuilt in 1931. On the basement of the church there are array of caves. According to the tradition, these caves included a jail where Jesus was held after his arrest. Outside the church one can see an ancient staircase leading to the Kidron Valley, believed to be the same steps through which Jesus was brought to Caiaphas after arresting from Gethsemane