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According to the Gospel, after Jesus was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was first brought for questioning to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who held great authority and influence at the time. “And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year” (John 18:13).
In the courtyard of this house stands an ancient olive tree, to which, according to tradition, Jesus was bound and subjected to humiliation by the servants of the high priest. It is said that even the angels turned their faces away, unwilling to witness His suffering.
During the Crusader period, a church known as the Church of the Angels was built on the foundations of the house of Annas. Later, Byzantine chapels and Crusader structures were erected on the site associated with the house of Caiaphas. In the 14th century, the Armenian Monastery of St. Zion was established here.
Within the monastery, visitors can see the Church of the Saviour. In the courtyard, there is also a cemetery of the Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem.