The Footprints of God: Peter Keeper of the Keys
- Video
- 2003
- 1h 30m
YOUR RATING
Author and apologist Steve Ray follows the Church's Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scripture accounts in the historical footsteps of the life and ministry of Simon Peter, the head of the Ap... Read allAuthor and apologist Steve Ray follows the Church's Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scripture accounts in the historical footsteps of the life and ministry of Simon Peter, the head of the Apostles.Author and apologist Steve Ray follows the Church's Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scripture accounts in the historical footsteps of the life and ministry of Simon Peter, the head of the Apostles.
- Directors
- Writers
- Star
- Directors
- David Eisenbise(director/videographer)
- Stephen Ray(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- ConnectionsFollowed by The Footprints of God: Mary the Mother of God (2003)
Featured review
Following Simon Peter's footsteps
In this documentary film, Author Steve Ray takes viewers on a tour of all the lands and places where Peter the Apostle lived, and where he died. The film opens with Ray perched above the square looking down on St. Peter's basilica in Rome, one of the largest and most beautiful churches in the world. As Ray says, it's "named after Simon Peter, that rugged and impulsive fisherman from a small village over a thousand miles away, over 2,000 years ago." It was in Rome that St. Peter was martyred. From there, Ray leads viewers to the Holy Land and the archaeological site of Peter's hometown, Bethsaida. Now located about two miles north of the Sea of Galilee, 2,000 years ago, it was right along the seashore. The ruins there have yielded "more ancient artifacts of the fishing trade... than anywhere else on the coast of the Sea of Galilee."
Not far away is a museum at Ginosar, with a 2,000-year old fishing boat. It was discovered in the mud and salvaged during a mid-1980s drought when the Sea of Galilee was extremely low. And, nearby are the ruins of Capernaum and Peter's house. Archaeology work here has been extensive. This was where Jesus made his home base during his public life. Today the walls and columns of a 4th century synagogue stand near Peter's house. It was built on the site of the first century synagogue where Jesus taught. That synagogue was built for the people by a Roman centurion - the one whose dying servant Jesus healed.
The previous summer, Ray spent a night on the lake with a local fisherman, and now he visits him in his boat on the Sea of Galilee. While it's a small sea, the fisherman says it is dangerous. The waves in winter reach heights of seven to eight feet. On my 2007 visit to the Holy Land, I went on a large replica fishing boat that could hold about two dozen people. It was March, and an early afternoon squall arose that sent the tops of waves over the side of the boat. Within about half an hour, it calmed down and the sun broke through the clouds. At the site where Jesus had built a fire after his resurrection and the Apostles came ashore, there is a small church - The Primacy of St. Peter. And, some miles to the SW of Capernaum, the film takes viewers to the top of Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration.
Other places visited in the film, with aerial photography and on the ground, are the sites of the Beatitudes and the places where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed thousands of people. From the Sea of Galilee, Ray takes viewers north to Caesarea Philippi (modern day Banias) and the place of the massive rock where Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom. A large river flows out from the base of the rock and is one of the headwaters of the Jordan River.
The next stop is Jerusalem, the City of David. From a high spot Ray points out the sites where David's palace was, the temple area, and the high priest's house. Other places where Peter was with Jesus are covered. The upper room, the Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane, the area where the chief priests' court had been, the praetorium where Jesus had been sentenced to die, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher over Jesus's tomb.
The next stops are at Joppa and the port of ancient Caesarea. Joppa is a part of modern day Tel Aviv. That's where Peter stayed after the resurrection and had his dreams of sheets descending from heaven with all sorts of animals that the Lord told him he could eat. Caesarea by the sea was the Roman capital of the province of Judea, built by Herod the Great. It was once one of the great seaports on the Mediterranean, but today is an expansive archeological site. It was to here that Peter was called by the Roman centurion, Cornelius, to baptize him and his family.
And, the final chapter of the film returns to Rome where Peter would preach and spend his last years as head of the church before being crucified by Nero around 64 AD. Ray walks part of the Appian way (Via Appia), the ancient Roman cobblestone road that is preserved near the South Gate of the city. Then, back at St. Peter's, the film takes viewers inside the church, and to the actual tomb of St. Peter below the altar above.
"The Footprints of God" presents the story of salvation, from Abraham to Augustine with modern visits and film of all the places and sites of the Bible and ancient Church. This documentary is one of a 10-film series produced by Ignatius Press and St. Joseph Productions. Author, apologist and expert Middle East tour guide Steve Ray, hosts and narrates the films. With his wife, Janet, he spent some 15 years on the project. They planned, researched, wrote, contracted services and scheduled trips and shooting. Then, with their film crew, they traveled and filmed the series by land and air from Egypt, through the Fertile Crescent, across Asia Minor, in Greece and in Rome.
The films include aerial scenes of the landscape and closeups of specific sites. Many digs and archaeological sites are included. Ray takes viewers to shrines, synagogues and ancient churches built over historic biblical places. The films show birth places, grave sites and tombs, caves, jails, and fortresses. Ancient ruins include pagan temples, churches, houses, harbors, and Roman aqueducts and paved roads.
In my travels I have been able to visit many of the places and sites in this film. This is an outstanding video and film series that most people should enjoy.
Not far away is a museum at Ginosar, with a 2,000-year old fishing boat. It was discovered in the mud and salvaged during a mid-1980s drought when the Sea of Galilee was extremely low. And, nearby are the ruins of Capernaum and Peter's house. Archaeology work here has been extensive. This was where Jesus made his home base during his public life. Today the walls and columns of a 4th century synagogue stand near Peter's house. It was built on the site of the first century synagogue where Jesus taught. That synagogue was built for the people by a Roman centurion - the one whose dying servant Jesus healed.
The previous summer, Ray spent a night on the lake with a local fisherman, and now he visits him in his boat on the Sea of Galilee. While it's a small sea, the fisherman says it is dangerous. The waves in winter reach heights of seven to eight feet. On my 2007 visit to the Holy Land, I went on a large replica fishing boat that could hold about two dozen people. It was March, and an early afternoon squall arose that sent the tops of waves over the side of the boat. Within about half an hour, it calmed down and the sun broke through the clouds. At the site where Jesus had built a fire after his resurrection and the Apostles came ashore, there is a small church - The Primacy of St. Peter. And, some miles to the SW of Capernaum, the film takes viewers to the top of Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration.
Other places visited in the film, with aerial photography and on the ground, are the sites of the Beatitudes and the places where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed thousands of people. From the Sea of Galilee, Ray takes viewers north to Caesarea Philippi (modern day Banias) and the place of the massive rock where Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom. A large river flows out from the base of the rock and is one of the headwaters of the Jordan River.
The next stop is Jerusalem, the City of David. From a high spot Ray points out the sites where David's palace was, the temple area, and the high priest's house. Other places where Peter was with Jesus are covered. The upper room, the Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane, the area where the chief priests' court had been, the praetorium where Jesus had been sentenced to die, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher over Jesus's tomb.
The next stops are at Joppa and the port of ancient Caesarea. Joppa is a part of modern day Tel Aviv. That's where Peter stayed after the resurrection and had his dreams of sheets descending from heaven with all sorts of animals that the Lord told him he could eat. Caesarea by the sea was the Roman capital of the province of Judea, built by Herod the Great. It was once one of the great seaports on the Mediterranean, but today is an expansive archeological site. It was to here that Peter was called by the Roman centurion, Cornelius, to baptize him and his family.
And, the final chapter of the film returns to Rome where Peter would preach and spend his last years as head of the church before being crucified by Nero around 64 AD. Ray walks part of the Appian way (Via Appia), the ancient Roman cobblestone road that is preserved near the South Gate of the city. Then, back at St. Peter's, the film takes viewers inside the church, and to the actual tomb of St. Peter below the altar above.
"The Footprints of God" presents the story of salvation, from Abraham to Augustine with modern visits and film of all the places and sites of the Bible and ancient Church. This documentary is one of a 10-film series produced by Ignatius Press and St. Joseph Productions. Author, apologist and expert Middle East tour guide Steve Ray, hosts and narrates the films. With his wife, Janet, he spent some 15 years on the project. They planned, researched, wrote, contracted services and scheduled trips and shooting. Then, with their film crew, they traveled and filmed the series by land and air from Egypt, through the Fertile Crescent, across Asia Minor, in Greece and in Rome.
The films include aerial scenes of the landscape and closeups of specific sites. Many digs and archaeological sites are included. Ray takes viewers to shrines, synagogues and ancient churches built over historic biblical places. The films show birth places, grave sites and tombs, caves, jails, and fortresses. Ancient ruins include pagan temples, churches, houses, harbors, and Roman aqueducts and paved roads.
In my travels I have been able to visit many of the places and sites in this film. This is an outstanding video and film series that most people should enjoy.
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- SimonJack
- Sep 1, 2022
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