Olive Wood 'Our Father' Cross

This olive wood cross was hand crafted in Bethlehem. It is made from varying lengths of wood connected by string and separated by wooden beads, and is quite flexible. Each length has a section of the Our Father prayer stamped on it. It is 22cm long. Olive Wood has a deep biblical significance. The first olive tree is believed to have grown in the Holy Land around 4000 BC and they are considered so sacred because Christ lived and preached in these areas.  Many Christians also believe that as a carpenter, Christ would have worked on this wood himself.  Olive tree's are also mentioned in many places in the Bible. Olive Tree's in the Holy Land are also considered mostly immortal.  These tree's live to around 2000 years of age, and once the tree disappears, new shoots appear, and so begins life again.