History & Process of Olive Wood Carving in The Holy Land

The History

The tradition of handicrafts in the Holy Land began in the 4th century CE under Byzantine rule in Bethlehem — which continues to be the main city that produces the craft — following the construction of the Church of the Nativity. Greek Orthodox monks taught local residents how to carve olive wood. The art developed and became a major industry in Bethlehem and nearby towns like Beit Sahour and Beit Jala in the 16th and 17th centuries when Italian and Franciscan artisans on pilgrimage to the area — by now under the rule of the Ottomans — taught the residents how to carve. Since then the tradition has been passed on generation by generation and is dominated by the descendants of the original local carvers.

Today, the art continues to be a major source of income for Bethlehem's Christians families with the main purchasers being Christian pilgrims visiting in Christmas time. Olive wood is carved into statues, crosses, boxes, covers for historical and old books, candle holders, rosaries, urns, vases and Christmas ornaments as well as scenes of the Holy Family. Olive wood branches are supplied by olive orchard in Bethlehem and nearby villages.

The Process

The process of producing olive wood craft is intense and detailed process, it consists of many stages and often involving the work of multiple artisans.

The raw wood comes from the prunes of olive trees , and from the trunks of the old, unproductive trees.

The olive trees used to make these carvings can be up to 2000 years old.

• The wood is cut, the logs are sterilized and dried for 1-3 years in a climate-controlled room.
• The workman cuts the exact size of piece he wants.
• The piece is dried outside for another 3-8 weeks.
• The artist cuts the rough shape of the carving based on a clay model or drawing.
• The piece is dried for another 2 weeks.
• Gifted craftsmen then carve the details by hand such as face and body.
• Then it will be smoothed by sand paper to take of the the rough surfaces and edges.
• Any ornamentation and details are added to the piece at this stage.
• Finally, it will be sprayed with special lacquer to protect the wood and keep it shiny .

The entire process takes several years, and it varies based on the specific grain, size of the piece, and the detail desired.