Louis Michel, the Catholic owner of St. Patrick Store, another Bethlehem shop that sells Christian merchandise, from locally made olive-wood nativity scenes and gold crosses to votive candles and ...

Eileen Wood, a Catholic from upstate New York, still remembers her pilgrimage to the Holy Land vividly, two years later. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Their company, Holy City Crafts, travels the country showcasing and selling religious olive wood carvings made by Bethlehem artisans. And it’s not just about business. A whopping 85% of sales go ...

The scene, carved in wood from olive trees, was designed by Palestinian artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, both natives of Bethlehem.

That Baby Jesus with outstretched arms, carved from olive wood from the Holy Land by Bethlehem's master craftsmen, has now been placed in the nativity scene without the kefiah. In the Paul VI Hall ...

Created by Bethlehem artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, the nativity scene prominently features Palestinian materials, including olive wood, a symbol of Palestinian resilience.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — The Nativity Store in Manger Square has sold handmade olive wood carvings and religious items to people visiting the traditional birthplace of Jesus since 1927.

Covid stole Christmas from Bethlehem in 2020 and 2021 following the 2019 bumper year. Celebrations revived in 2022 but were shut down last year. In a normal year, Bethlehem counted on 1.5 million ...

The Nativity Store in Manger Square in Bethlehem has sold handmade olive wood carvings and religious items to pilgrims visiting the Church of the Nativity, where Christianity holds Jesus was born ...

Israel's minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism asked Pope Francis to clarify his remarks about the need to investigate whether the current war in Gaza constitutes a genocide.

Some evidence shows that the use of olive wood in Bethlehem dates back to the fourth century during the construction of the Basilica of the Nativity, Adonia said.