Jerusalem is filled with spots where Jesus is said to have walked, and the key events of the crucifixion and resurrection are commemorated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But it’s in some of the more off-the-beaten-path locations where we can really feel close to Jesus’ journey.

TLV1’s Laragh Widdess was taken to the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu by Father Stephen Myers, a Catholic priest from the UK who enjoys touring the Holy Land. This small church stands on the spot where it’s said Jesus was held prisoner – at the house of the High Priest Caiaphas – after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was in the courtyard of this house that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, as Jesus had predicted he would “before the cock crows twice.” “Gallicantu” is Latin for “cock’s crow.”

As he explains what’s special about the site, Father Stephen brings to life this dramatic chapter of Jesus’ story.

“Oh Lord, my God, I cry out to you;
at night I clamor in your presence.
Let my prayer come before you,
turn your ear to my call for help!

For my soul is suffering with troubles,
and my life draws near to the nether world.
I am numbered among those who are dead,
who go down into the pit;
I am a man without strength.”

– Psalm 88.1-4

Music:
Bach – St. John Passion (“Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm in allen Landen herrlich ist!”; “Ach, mein Sinn”; “Es ist vollbracht!”; “Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein”)
John Debney – The Passion of the Christ (original soundtrack) (“Peter Denies Jesus”; “Jesus Arrested”; “The Olive Garden”)

Written and produced by Laragh Widdess