Jesus was assaulting the money-changing tables, which were called the “booths of Annas” because they were owned by the family of the high priest Annas (or Ananias). It’s historically known that the house of Annas charged greatly inflated prices on sacrificial animals, extorted money, and stole funds intended for priests who had no other income. Heard in its full context, Mark 11 expands into a prophecy about the destruction of the temple because of priestly corruption.
