In 1882, Hieromonk Joasaph (Plekhanov) acquired a plot of land in Jericho, where, according to legend, the fig tree stood under which the tax collector Zacchaeus met Christ. Soon, the remains of an ancient temple were discovered at this site. In 1886, Joasaph transferred this land to the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, which decided to continue archaeological excavations.

The excavations were interrupted in 1914 due to the outbreak of World War I. Subsequently, the site was managed by the British Mandate over Palestine, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian National Authority. Only in 2008 did the land finally come under the control of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society. In 2011, a museum-park center opened here, which, in addition to the museum, hosts children's clubs and Russian language courses.

The Russian museum in Jericho began its work in early 2011. The Jericho oasis itself is located on the plain of the Jordan River. From an archaeological perspective, Jericho represents an agglomeration of monuments from different eras and types that have formed here since the Mesolithic.

In 2010, Jericho celebrated its 10,000th anniversary. The name of the city comes from the ancient word "yareach," meaning "moon." In the Bible, Jericho is mentioned as the city of palms, where the abundance of water and heat created ideal conditions for growing this important product of ancient civilizations. Freshwater springs and rains turned the area into a blooming oasis, facilitating early settlement.

The history of the two-story marble building, which now houses the museum, begins in the 19th century. In 1882, Hieromonk Joasaph arrived in Jericho with the aim of establishing a Russian monastery for pilgrims. The plot was purchased with funds donated by the Russian philanthropist Elena Reznichenkova. The site was chosen because of the biblical tree, the fig tree of Zacchaeus. In 1884, Joasaph accidentally discovered the ruins of an ancient monastery and reported this to a member of the Council of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society. In 1891, an archaeological expedition led by Professor Kondakov determined that the ruins date back to the early Byzantine period.

Joasaph soon left Palestine, transferring the plot to the vice-chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society. The land changed hands several times among different chairmen. After the death of the chairman Prince S. A. Romanov, difficulties arose with re-registering the plot to the IOPS or the Russian government. On June 9, 2008, a ceremony was held to transfer the plot to the ownership of the Russian Federation.

A few months after the paperwork was completed, a Russian delegation arrived in Jericho. Archaeologists inspected the excavations and confirmed their potential. Soon, construction of the museum complex began, and a park was laid out around it. On January 18, 2011, the museum-park complex in Jericho was solemnly opened.