The House of Caiaphus: Where Peter Denied Christ

From the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin at the house of Caiaphus, the High Priest.

Somehow, I had no idea that the ruins of his house could actually still exist and there's (of course) a church on top of it, built on the ruins of the Byzantine church.

Below it is a dungeon where it's claimed Jesus was held. It's possible Peter and John were also held here at some point after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven.

Outside the church are ruins from Caiaphus' house, as well as ruins from other eras as well.

this area is likely from the Byzantine church.

Caiaphus' house

And then, the stairs.... stairs the Jesus and His disciples might have walked down on the way to the Garden and then on the way back on the way to the trial before the Sanhedrin:

The view of the Mount of Olives from the top of the steps.

Like the church at the Garden of Gethsemane, the modern church, The Church of Saint Peter Gallincatu ("the rooster's crow" in Latin) is one of my favorite churches in Israel.

If the one at Gethsemane is the night, this one is the sunrise.

Which makes sense, because it was built memorializing not only the trial before the Sanhedrin but also Peter's denial of Jesus.

I've never been inside a church that was these colors. It was gorgeous!

The next time I go, I hope to get a tour of the property so I can understand it all better. It was breathtaking to be there and realize this was likely where Peter denied Christ. 

Eventually, the sun rose on that dark night, just as the rooster crowed. Jesus met Peter's eyes, and he realized that he'd done.

Judas hung himself nearby (apparently the field purchased by the 30 pieces of silver is not far). 

And then Jesus was taken to Pilate.

**a tour guide has told me recently that from an archeological standpoint, it's unlikely this was actually the site of Caiaphus' house. So I now look at this place as a remembrance of these events.

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

Pearl in the Sand, by Tessa Afshar, is an incredible book!

Following the story of Rahab, Afshar gives the reader a beautiful glimpse into what it might have been for this woman, a Canaanite prostitute in Jericho, to betray her people by helping the spies of Israel and then joining the people of Israel... later to marry a leader in the tribe of Judah and give birth to Boaz, who is in the line of Jesus. What an incredible redemption of her story!

I was fascinated by the cultural elements of this story, and the in-depth exploration of Rahab's journey as a foreigner, a member of an enemy people, and a prostitute, to 'ancestor' of Jesus. In addition to her struggle, Afshar also gives insight to the current conflicts in the people of Israel, highlighting that this is not long after Moses has died, as well as the last of the earlier generation of people who escaped Egypt. This is a group of people—millions—who didn't know what it meant to stay in one place, to work the land, or to settle down. The psychological dynamics of that are so interesting to me! 

There were definitely physical, mental, and spiritual elements of this dynamic as well, as Joshua says to Salmone on page 100: "'I understand the root of your opinions; I know how you formed them. It's part and parcel of the way you young ones grew up. Your generation has had a hard lesson to learn. Your parents' and grandparents' lack of faith and disobedience changed your lives. Instead of being born and raised in homes of your own, you've endured the hardships of a meandering existence. You have never known the routine of a stable home life. The one security you young ones have known has been the Lord. It has made you cling to God in a way your parents weren't able to do. Perhaps your children's generation won't inherit your resolve either. Maybe that's why God allowed you to become wanderers in the first place.

But there is an underside to every strength, and yours is showing right now, Salmone. You have grown judgmental in your attempt at righteousness.'"

This book is obviously Biblical fiction, based on extensive research and also the author's imagination. But this paragraph really grabbed me, because it took me into the world of the younger generation of Israelites and their culture. Having lived with the consequences of their parents' and grandparents' sin in such a national way, it makes sense that it would greatly impact the younger generation in a powerful (and opposite) way. 

Was the problem described by Joshua (at Afshar's hand) a real problem? We might not know until Heaven, but I can't wait to find out! Let me know what you think in the comments below!