Olivewood carving from Bethlehem and Jerusalem is Handcrafted by Christian families in the holy land. It is one of the first olive wood factories in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and is one of the largest and oldest factories in the Holy Land. It was established in Beit Sahour in 1965 and is still going strong for more than 56 years.
Kamal Abusada, from Beit Sahour, started carving olivewood at the age of 15, and in time, he learned all aspects of working with olivewood. His artistic talent was soon recognized as one of the top artisans, not just in Bethlehem only, but also in all of the Holy Land.
Forty-five years ago, he was able to purchase equipment and open his own Shop.
Kamal Abusada has said that “Carving of olive wood and Mother of pearl is a Christian tradition around the Bethlehem area, with the majority in Beit Sahour. You probably have not heard of this small town, but Beit Sahour is the sight of Shepherds Field; Where Angels descended on Shepherds tending to their flock and told them of the birth of Christ”.
He adds: “Everyone knows the olive branch symbolizes peace, this also applies to the wood. Olive wood trees are harvested not only from olives but also from their wood. Branches are handled with care and must dry for one to two years minimum before carving begins, even longer on the large pieces. Every finished piece is the result of several attempts. This is especially true for the larger pieces where six or more may need to be started before one can be completed”.
Abusada concluded his ideas by saying “imperfections are not always apparent and don’t become visible until considerable work has been done”.
Kamal AbuSada is married and he has two sons and one daughter. All of the family is blessed with this talent from their father, and they all work in the same factory, hand in hand with the Christian families in Bethlehem and Jerusalem in order to support all of the Christian families in the Holy Land.
