The Gospel accounts of Peter's denial of Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest describe a sequence of events involving different individuals who attempt to identify Peter. Here's how two different women servants identified him:
* First Woman Servant (Mark 14:66-68, Matthew 26:69-70, Luke 22:56-57, John 18:17): As Peter was warming himself by the fire, a servant girl (Mark and Matthew) or a servant girl (Luke) or the gatekeeper (John) saw him. She looked intently at him (Luke) and said something along the lines of "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth" (Matthew, Mark) or "This man was with him" (Luke) or "Are you not also one of this man's disciples?" (John). Her identification was based on Peter's presence and proximity to the events unfolding. She likely associated him with the group accompanying Jesus because he was in the courtyard where Jesus was being questioned.
* Second Woman Servant (Matthew 26:71-72, Mark 14:69-70): After Peter moved to the gateway, another servant girl (Matthew) or the same servant girl (Mark) saw him and said to the bystanders, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth" (Matthew) or "This man is one of them" (Mark). Here, the woman reiterated the accusation and spread it to others. It's likely she was influenced by the earlier identification and felt more confident in her assertion, potentially due to Peter's nervous behavior or appearance.
In essence, the women's identifications stemmed from:
* Observation: They saw Peter in the courtyard where Jesus was being questioned.
* Association: They linked Peter to Jesus based on his presence near the events.
* Confidence: The second woman's identification was likely emboldened by the first.
It's important to note the power dynamics at play here. Peter, a man, was being questioned by lower-status servants, particularly women. This likely added to his discomfort and desire to disassociate himself from Jesus.