Jerusalem’s historic ‘Bishop’s House’ sold for NIS 59 million

A historic 150-year-old building in central Jerusalem once used by Christian missionaries has been sold for NIS 59 million ($18.7 million), as demand remains strong for luxury properties in Israel.

The property at 25 HaNevi’im Street, known locally as the Bishop’s House, includes a 1,000-square-meter (10,764-square-foot) plot with 630 square meters (6,780 square feet) of built space, a courtyard and rooftop terraces.

A private company acquired the property for the sum, which includes NIS 9 million in VAT, and will undertake extensive preservation and restoration work on it. The sale was brokered by Ronit and Tomer Dowek of Prosperity Real Estate.

Surrounded by a high stone wall, the property features an expansive courtyard, horse stables, impressive staircases and grand reception rooms. Its thick stone walls and vaulted ceilings reflect the construction methods of the period. A rooftop chamber known as the “Prophet’s Room” offers panoramic views of the Old City, the Temple Mount and the Judean Desert.

The Bishop’s House was built in 1876 by the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews to accommodate representatives of the Anglican mission in Jerusalem. Between 1878 and 1902, it was inhabited by the clergyman overseeing the Anglican Church’s missionary activities, Reverend Arthur Hastings Kelk.

Over the years, it assumed additional roles. During World War II, when Mandatory Palestine faced a severe shortage of medical laboratory glassware, the Phoenicia company established the estate as a glass factory.

When Jerusalem was divided following Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, the property was used as a kindergarten operated by Finnish missionary sisters before it was sold to Jewish owners. During the 1970s, the property was inhabited by the family of disgraced businessman and publisher Robert Maxwell.

The sale comes as demand for luxury housing in Jerusalem and central cities continues to rise, partly due to fears of rising antisemitism abroad. Last week, a French Jewish high-tech entrepreneur purchased two floors in a luxury residential tower on Tel Aviv’s beachfront for NIS 119 million ($38 million).

Last year, Dowek brokered the $21 million sale of a hundred-year-old home in Talbieh once owned by philosopher Martin Buber.

“There are properties you sell, and there are properties whose stories you feel privileged to become part of,” Dowek said following the sale. “When you stand inside a house built 150 years ago, reflect on the history that unfolded within its walls, and consider the people who lived and worked there, you realize that the significance of the transaction extends far beyond its commercial value.”