Large selection of hand carved olive wood crucifix. Made by Catholics in the place Jesus Christ was born, Bethlehem in the Holy Land. The wood used for our crucifixes is aged naturally to make sure the olive wood does not split.
A crucifix, an image of Jesus on the cross, is very symbolic for Christians and non-Christians alike. Such an image evokes memories of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ made, as Saviour of all mankind. He died on the cross, crucified to bear the sins of humanity. “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.” (Mark 25:15) Christ’s death was ordained to bring eternal life to all, as emphasized in St. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Several materials could be used to make a crucifix, synonymous with such a great sacrifice, but at Zak’s Jerusalem Gifts, we specialize in Olive Wood Crucifix. From the well-known olive tree, this wood is allowed to naturally dry to prevent splitting, thus maintaining the authenticity of our olive wood crucifix.
We know that olive wood has been very symbolic throughout history and evokes images of greatness, blessing, and prosperity. Following the flood that destroyed the antediluvian world, the dove that Noah sent out returned with an olive branch, showing the resilience of this tree and its dominance. Genesis 8:11, “And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.” This is also the tree that provided the olive oil that featured so prominently in sanctification services, sacrifices, and anointing ceremonies throughout the Bible.
As God outlined the list of items for the sanctification of the chosen men for the priestly office, we see that olive oil is included. “And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.”
With such knowledge, Zak’s Jerusalem Gifts have found a unique way to blend these two powerfully symbolic elements of olive wood and the cross to create our olive wood crucifix. Christian artists make these in Bethlehem, the land of Jesus’ birth.
One feature of our crucifix is the addition of glass vials filled with incense and Jerusalem soil. Not only are these olive wood crucifixes with Jerusalem soil useful as a focal point of our beliefs, but when you invest in one, you also take a piece of Jerusalem with you in the soil-filled vials, at the foot of the cross.
