Holy Wood

Bethlehem city in Palestine is the the birth place of Jesus. As piligrims arrived from abroad to visit the holy churches in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the skillfill artists bought their talent and art to the holy place. The art of carving is a very detailed and difficult process. Carvers use olive wood, a traditional wood that has been used by carvers for over a thousand years. After the olive wood is gathered, carvers cut wood into small pieces. Carving process is a multi step process. In the first step, the wood is carved to an abstract shape, then the craftsmen add fine details to the face and body of the sculpture. The finished sculpture is sanded to create a smooth surface. The final piece is coated with lacquer to give it shine and lusture. Carvers in Bethlehem make religious statues and household items from olive wood.