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Biblical Olive Wood Creations
Our fine crafted Biblical Olive Wood Creations include carvings illustrating events from both the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament and the New Testament. We have carefully selected scenes from the life of Jesus which will bless Christians everywhere. Our carvings depict Jesus’ Birth/Nativity, His childhood and many “scenes” from His ministry. These carvings are the work of some of the most talented artisans and wood carvers in the world. Our olive wood products are carved from pruned limbs thus, and no trees are destroyed in the process.
Our unique Christian carvings are perfect gifts for Christian and Jewish Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, memorials, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and other special occasions. A carving from the Holy Land is the perfect Christmas gift, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas and our Lord’s birth. Leading up to and during the Christmas season, Nativity scenes are proudly displayed in churches, businesses and Christian homes.
We offer these treasured Biblical art pieces from the Holy Land. At your request we will ship them directly to your home, and we cover the shipping cost. Many olive wood creations are in stock and can be shipped the day they are ordered. Such orders will arrive directly from Bethlehem within ten days. However, please allow longer for larger items; religious statues, Nativity sets and items of heirloom quality.
Many of our carvers grew up in the wood carving industries of Bethlehem, near where Christ was born. These factories have been owned and operated by families dedicated to this industry across several centuries. Today, electric carving tools and other specialized machinery speeds the carving process. But the final carving is carefully inspected and then completed by hand. Bethlehem’s carvers have taken their craft to a new level. All olive wood used has been grown in Israel and the Bethlehem area. To be more exact, most of the olive trees, used in our processes, are grown in Galilee, where the Lord Jesus spent much of His earthly life and ministry.
Today, visitors and pilgrims from around the world return from the Holy Land with their hand carved olive wood treasures; Nativity sets, Biblical scenes, statues and crucifixes. But now, you can order these unique Biblical art pieces from your favorite arm chair in your own home.
Biblical Olive Wood Creations, offers you, your family and Jewish and Christian friends the most unique and admired “Biblical gifts” available today. These carvings will increase in value, and become “the most talked about” and “most treasured possessions” in your home. What better way to bring the Biblical events to “life”, than to share the related Bible story, as you and your family view the beautiful hand carved illustration.
The History of Olive Wood Carving in Bethlehem
The tradition of making handicrafts in Bethlehem began in the fourth century CE, under the Byzantine rule. Then, following the construction of the Church of the Nativity, Greek Orthodox monks taught local residents how to carve olive wood. Bethlehem, to this day, continues to be the main city that produces this craft. After olive wood carving had become a major industry in Bethlehem, by the sixteen and seventeenth centuries, it spread to the nearby towns of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. The olive wood traditions have been passed from generation to generation, and today are dominated by the descendants of those original carvers. Olive wood carving continues to be a major source of income for Bethlehem’s Arab Christian residents.
The Olive Wood Production Process
The process of producing an olive wood product is labor intense, and consists of several stages, involving the work of multiple artisans. High tech drills are used initially to attain the rough outline of the intended piece. This accounts for 15% of the process, and it eliminates the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of the carving. Next the item is passed on to a skilled artisan, who transforms the rough outline into the finished product, by chiseling the details. Then, the item is sanded and polished. Finally, the carving is coated with olive wax to give the object a “natural shine” and ensure longevity.
Olive wood is used because it is easier to carve than other woods, and can be done accurately with simple hand tools. Also, it offers a wide array of natural color, beautiful grains and tonal depth. It is resistant to decay, but receptive to a number of surfacing treatments.
Native olive wood is used in the manufacturing of smaller artistic, religious, and historical pieces; cups, trays, crosses, engraved key chains, kitchen items, rosary articles, tree ornaments, flower vases, and wall decorations. Larger Biblical art pieces are carved to compete with more expensive bronze art work, i.e. Jesus washing Peter’s feet, Jesus and the children, Jesus on the Cross and Jesus quieting the storm. (The list goes as far as the artisan’s mind dares to venture).
Unique Study Tours to God’s Land of Israel
Our ministry annually offers Discover Israel Study Tours directed by Dr. Bob C. Ross, our Servant-Director for Biblical Olive Wood Creations. These study tours are 11 full days in God’s Land, Israel and will spend one day in Bethlehem. Our journey includes many sites not on the “beaten path”, but focus on the Jewishness of Jesus.
