Our Story
Over twenty years ago, a modern-day carpenter from Nazareth was burdened to help local Palestinian craftsmen, who were struggling to keep afloat financially at a time of political turmoil and broken economy.
He began to build relationships with the finest artisans in olive wood carving and ceramics, visiting their workshops and encouraging them to produce their best work for this website. Olive wood carving and pottery have been an integral part of local industry for centuries and the skills have been handed down through the generations.
The carving of local olive wood is centred in the Jerusalem and Bethlehem area. Each item is hand-crafted with care and precision. The scent of the olive wood and the pattern on each piece is unique.
The Ceramics and pottery industry is located further south in Hebron. There they train local artisans to make their uniquely hand-painted ceramics and authentic replicas of clay artefacts that have been excavated from up to 3000 years of history in the Holy Land, including oil lamps, jars and amphoras.
We care about the livelihoods and the continuation of their special craftsmanship and so when you purchase from olivewoodandclay.com, you are helping to support these indigenous industries and the Emmaus Bible Ministry based in Nazareth, which provides Bible courses in Arabic for the Middle East and worldwide.
