“From the rising of the sun even to its setting, My Name will be great among the Gentiles,” says Yahweh Sabaoth.
(Malachi 1: 11)
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The Olive Tree Beside Annas’ House
“So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested the Messiah and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.” (John 18: 12-14)
On the night He was arrested, the Messiah was taken to Annas’ house and tied to an olive tree beside his house. Below is a picture of that tree.
The Search for the Olive Tree Beside Annas’ House
Below is a picture of Katie and me standing in front of the olive tree beside Annas’ house. FYI, olive trees live for thousands of years. The olive tree in the picture below is the same tree to which the Messiah was tied 2000 years ago.
The man standing with us in the picture is an Armenian priest. I’ll say more about him later, but this story doesn’t begin with him.
Annas’ house, the olive tree, and James’ grave are inside the Armenian Convent in the Old City of Jerusalem. It’s not open to the public. To see those things, you must have special permission.
The Old City of Jerusalem has narrow streets with stone walls on each side. It’s difficult to understand what took place in the Old City during the Messiah’s day, because most of the critical events took place behind those walls. It takes time and special permission to gain access to the places Katie and I want to visit.
Below is a picture of me taking a picture. Katie took it in 2013. Behind me, you can see the entrance to the Armenian Convent. At that time, I didn’t know anything about the Armenian Convent, Annas’ house, the olive tree beside Annas’ house, or James’ grave.
I gather information about Jerusalem constantly. As I learn new things, I make lists of the places I want to see and make plans to visit those sites on my next trip. Katie and I go to Israel often. The next trip is never more than a few months away.
Thankfully, Yahweh opens doors and we gain access to everything we want to see.
The Armenian Convent
At some point during late-2017 or early-2018, I was reading about the Messiah’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. I’ve studied the Bible for decades, but for some reason, the fact that He was taken to Annas before He was taken to Caiaphas didn’t stand out in my mind. Suddenly, it did.
A short while later, I was reading an article about the Armenian Convent in the Old City. It said that Annas’ house is inside the convent and that the olive tree to which the Messiah was tied on the night He was arrested is still there. Immediately, I put the Armenian Convent on my list of places to visit.
In August 2018, we visited the convent. When we walked in, I saw a man who looked like an administrator, so I asked him if he knew where the olive tree beside Annas’ house is located. He said, “It’s here, but you can’t see it. It’s not open to the public.”
His boss was standing nearby. He overheard our conversation and said, “It’s okay. Let them in. I’ll take them to the tree.”
As he led us to the tree, he said, “God spoke to me when you asked to see the tree and said, ‘Let them in.’”
The olive tree and Annas’ house are in a courtyard in the convent. When we got to the courtyard, the gate was locked.
The gate to the courtyard is probably 50 yards from the tree, and it’s always locked. Our guide didn’t have the key. Only the priest in the picture has the key, but he wasn’t with us at the time.
Our guide pointed toward the tree and said, “There it is.” We could see the tree, but we couldn’t touch it.
At that very instant, the priest walked up and said, “I have the key. I’ll let you in.” If you zoom in on the picture of Katie and me with the priest, you will see the key in his right hand.
We didn’t ask the priest to let us in. He volunteered to let us in.
Below is a picture of me standing with our guide. We are in the courtyard of the Armenian Convent.
Our guide is an Armenian with Jordanian citizenship who lives in Jerusalem full-time. If you spend enough time in Jerusalem and get to know the locals, you will discover that things in the holy city aren’t as simple as you think.
If there ever was a city that is a melting pot, Jerusalem is it. For the most part, Jerusalemites live together peacefully. Only the occasional Palestinian terrorist disturbs the peace.
The Armenian Priest
The priest led us to the tree. As we walked toward it, he explained its significance and talked about Annas’ house and James’ grave.
In the picture at the top of this editorial, it’s easy to see that some of the tree’s branches extend beyond the wall around the tree. As we were standing there talking with the priest, I said, “I’m going to ask you a question. Please don’t hesitate to say ‘no’. Would you allow me to take a clipping from the tree?”
Olive trees must be pruned. Taking a clipping from the tree wouldn’t hurt it, but under normal conditions, the convent doesn’t allow anyone to take anything off the tree. That’s why the wall is there.
The priest said, “Of course you can.”
I pinched off a clipping with several olives on it. Most of the olives on my clipping are green, but there is one ripe olive on it.
I still have that clipping. From time to time, I show it to our guests.
On my next trip to Jerusalem, I’ll visit the convent again. There is more that I want to see, and I want to get up close and personal.
Miracles Happen All the Time in Jerusalem
Things like this happen to Katie and me all the time in Jerusalem. This incident took place in real time. The door was opened on the spot. There was no praying for doors to be opened. Yahweh wanted us to see the tree, and we saw it.
I have reached the point where in Jerusalem I expect extraordinary things to happen. It’s impossible not to feel close to Yahweh while He clears our path in real time.
The Garden of Gethsemane
I also have a clipping from an olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane. Tourists are not allowed take clippings from those trees. If everyone who visits the Garden of Gethsemane took a clipping from a tree in the garden, every tree would be stripped bare.
On my first trip to Jerusalem more than 20 years ago, as we were entering the Garden of Gethsemane, a man walked up to me and said, “Here is a clipping from this tree. Take it.”
I took it and said, “Thank you.” Below is a picture of that tree.
There is More to Come
I have lots of stories to tell about Jerusalem. Some of them are truly remarkable. In the days to come, I will tell more of them.
Eventually, Katie and I plan to live in Jerusalem most of the time. When we move to Yahweh’s holy city, I will devote most of my time to telling about things taking place there.
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SnyderTalk Comment
In parts of this video, you can see the Armenian Convent, but it’s not identified. It’s beyond David’s Citadel before you get to Zion Gate.
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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)
