Hill of Evil Counsel

The Hill of Evil Counsel is a site on the south side of the Valley of Hinnom, opposite Jerusalem, whose name derives from a tradition preserved in church history: that the house of the high priest Caiaphas stood there, and that it was here that the chief priests and rulers of the Jews resolved to put Jesus to death (Matt. 26:3–5; John 11:47–53). The name thus reflects Christian interpretation of the site rather than an ancient toponym. It commands a prominent view of Jerusalem across the Hinnom Valley. The tradition is preserved in Byzantine and medieval pilgrimage literature and has been associated with the area now known as Jebel Abu Tor, southwest of the Old City. Whether or not Caiaphas's house was actually located there, the name captures the theological significance of the council that condemned the Son of God.