Olive trees, indigenous to the
Holy Land,
are treasured. The oil from their fruit has been
used for religious rites since before the time
of Jesus. They bear a sign of hope and renewed
life. Jesus himself frequented the
Mount of Olives
in
Jerusalem.
He prayed in
Gethsemane
(Matthew 26:36) near an olive tree that still
exists today.
Every October the people of the
Holy Land
pick the fruit of the olive trees and
prune the branches. These pruned
branches dry for several years and then
are turned into beautiful Christian
testaments of faith. The local
Christians also create gifts from Mother
of Pearl using techniques they developed
since the 17th century.
The purchase of these gifts helps to
support 800 Christian families in the
Bethlehem
region who depend on tourism and the
sales of such crafts for their
livelihood. May God bless you for your
support of Christian tradition and the
Christians who depend on it.
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