Gifts made with Bethlehem olivewood take on a rich patina that deepens with each passing year. Best of all, Olivewood from Bethlehem is a renewable resource.
Gifts made with Bethlehem olivewood are very beautiful to begin with, but did you know that as olive wood ages, it starts to take on an even more dramatic appearance? While some gifts are destined to end up being donated to charity, re-gifted, or simply forgotten about in a box filled with clutter, gifts of Bethlehem olivewood are cherished for a lifetime – maybe because they look better with each passing year. Here, we’ll take a quick look at olive wood, and provide you with a brief overview of its properties, so you understand exactly where it comes from, how it is produced, and more.
Bethlehem Olivewood: A Renewable Resource
Beautiful gifts made with exotic woods are getting harder to come by, partly because woods sourced from rainforests are now scarce, with some trees teetering on the brink of extinction. So, why isn’t olive wood at risk? The answer lies at the heart of the olive tree itself. Not only is its root system nearly indestructible, allowing trees that have been cut down or even burned to the ground to completely regenerate themselves, the trees stay healthier when they are vigorously pruned.
Gifts made with olive wood from Bethlehem are made with wood sourced from branches that are trimmed away from the trees each year. The same trees artisans use to renew their craft wood supply are the trees they often rely on for olive oil and olives for their families to cook with and eat, and long-burning wood for small fires.
Olivewood’s Properties
If you look at a photo of Bethlehem olivewood trees, you’ll notice that the trees’ limbs are knotted and twisted. These trees are actually evergreen shrubs. They are hardy, drought-resistant, disease-resistant, and fire-resistant. The oldest olive trees in the world are believed to be more than two thousand years old, and it is believed that so long as an olive tree is pruned regularly and is properly cared for, it can live indefinitely.
The wood is very hard, with tightly packed grains. Usually a light yellow to greyish-green color, it possesses dark veins that run through it. No two trees are exactly alike, and no two pieces of art made from Bethlehem olivewood are alike, either. We like to say that just as God made each person with unique fingerprints, he created each olivewood tree to be unique, too.
You’ll find a wonderful array of handcrafted gifts made with olivewood from Bethlehem at HolyLand-Gifts. You may find yourself feeling a bit surprised about the low prices you find there, particularly as each item is made by hand, and as each is as unique as the olive trees the wood they’re made from are. Whether you’re looking for a Christian gift for a friend or family member, or just something nice for your home, you’ll be pleased with our selection and our prices.