It was built beside the steep road that descends from the Mount of Olives eastwards towards the village of el-Azariyeh (ancient Bethany).

The crusader era chapel itself was built on the foundations of a 4th-century Byzantine shrine commemorating the meeting between Lazarus' sister Martha and Jesus.

This stone, now called the Stele of Bethphage, was an integral part of the 12th-century crusader chapel and now lies near the northern wall of the church.

The Crusaders had decorated the stone and inscribed upon it in Latin, descriptions of biblical events which occurred in the area of Jerusalem and Bethphage.

Colored in shades of brown, the wall frescos portray New Testament era people preparing for the procession.