Discover Israel

The Armenian church monastery, named St. Nicholas, dates back to the 17th century and was built to support Armenian pilgrims. In 1799, Napoleon invaded the Land of Israel and conquered Jaffa. While in Gaza, many of his soldiers fell ill with the plague. This monastery served as a shelter for the sick soldiers while Napoleon continued his campaign. Historical illustrations depict Napoleon touching the sick to reassure his troops. He continued northward but suffered a defeat in Acre, forcing him to retreat and abandon the campaign. On his return journey, he took only the soldiers able to walk; those who couldn’t were left behind. Due to his doctor’s refusal to carry out the order to euthanize them, the sick were left and later executed by the Turkish army.