On November 28, 2011  the Palestinian government announced its intent to restore and to renovate the Nativity Church, the oldest church in Palestine and the birthplace of our savior Jesus Christ. It is a historic site that draws millions of tourists and visitors to Palestine. Preparations for the facelift of the 1500-year-old church moved ahead as planned amidst the religious and political conflicts.

According to the Ziad Bandak, one who oversees the restoration of the Nativity Church, the restoration of the church will cost millions and would take several years to complete. The first and foremost aspect of the restoration is to replace the church’s roofs and its ancient wooden beams which are no longer safe for visitors. They also found that the leaks in the roofs ruined the priceless paintings and mosaics inside the church.

Bandak mentioned that the project is the first comprehensive repair project of the Nativity Church since its completion in the 4th century. He said that they need to fix the damages brought by the wear and tear of time.

According to history, the Nativity Church was constructed in 326 AD by Emperor Constantine to honor and to commemorate the three important events in the life of Jesus Christ. Since Jesus Christ was believed to be born in the cave, architects were able to construct the cave according to the devotional and architectural requirements. It was found that the case was encased in an octagonal structure which formed the sanctuary of the basilica and which stretched away to the west by five aisles and four monolithic columns.

When the church was damaged by an earthquake in 1927, it took three decades for the rival sects, Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox, to agree on the repairs and completion of the project.

Due to the huge amount of funds needed for the project, the Palestinian government appeals to the Arab and European countries to help in funding the project. Even though, the three sects agreed to pursue the project, they could not be reached for comments.

Despite the pending overhaul of the historic Nativity Church, the government believed that the project will not affect the tourism industry nor hinder the group tours and pilgrimage to the church. According to Palestinian Tourism Minister Khouloud Daibes, local and foreign worshipers are on the rise during Christmas and at least two million people visited the Nativity Church annually. Daibes informed tourists and travelers that they are welcome to visit the church during the restoration stage.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied to the UNESCO to recognize Nativity Church as a World Heritage Site, but its application is not accepted because UNESCO did not recognized it as a state. When the decision triggered a cut off of funding from the United States, the United Nations cultural arm decided to approve the application.

Abbas also signed a decree that mandates the restoration and repair of the church. Government officials hope that the project will start in 2012, which is projected to cost between ten to fifteen million dollars.

Christmas has come and gone, everyone was busy doing their share of preparation for the most awaited event of the year. Some start buying gifts for their loved ones, friends, relatives and colleagues, while others commence saving money for the holidays. Some people even organize parties, reunions and get-together events during Christmas. Since majority of us have long vacation during the holidays, it is the perfect time to share precious moments with loved ones.

Regardless of what you did during the Holiday, there are some individuals who had a lonely and bitter Christmas because they cannot afford to buy the things and food their hearts desire, especially those coming from poverty-inflicted areas, war-damaged countries and calamity-afflicted nations. Is there are chance for them to be happy this Christmas?

The cadets of the United States Air Force Academy heeded their needs and stepped up their efforts to make less fortunate children from across the globe happy this Christmas. They initiated the Operation Christmas Child, where they collected shoe boxes containing toiletries and toys from kind-hearted Samaritans who want to help and make Christmas special for these children. In just a matter of weeks, cadets managed to collect thousands of shoe boxes containing items which would make children happy.

According to Darren Duncan, Air Force Chaplain and the cadet who initiated the Operation Christmas Child, it is one of the several relief initiatives sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian affiliate organization initiated by Bob Pierce in 1970. In 1978, Reverend Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham took over as president of Samaritan’s Purse. The Operation Christmas Child runs from November 14 to 21, 2011, giving individuals from overseas enough time to deliver their gifts just before Christmas.

They asked that any gifts donated be age specific to either boy or girl, thus one shoebox should not contain a mixture of items suitable for boys and girls, but it should concentrate only to one gender. The shoe boxes collected under the Operation Christmas Child scheme contain balls, cars, dolls, crayons, jump ropes, notebooks, toothpaste, soaps and lollipops. The gifts are sent to different countries worldwide who are poverty-affected, nations which are hit by calamities and those who are damaged by war. The people in these areas, especially the children, need all the support and assistance to make them happy during the holidays.

Chaplain Duncan said that the response and support of those who wanted to help are tremendous and overwhelming. He said that cadets sent emails to protestant Christians to solicit their participation. He is happy and blown away by its success, especially with the myriad phone calls and he received from interested individuals who want to participate in the initiative.

Since Samaritan’s Purse is a religious organization, the Air Force cadets need to collaborate with the Cadet Chaplain Corps to realize their toy drive. The Cadet Chaplain Corps advertises all events and programs to spread the word about the scheme and to gather donations.

It is the first time that cadets joined this type of toy drive, where they collected a total of 170 boxes, which boxes are delivered to different locations on November 20, 2011.

Apart from the Operation Christmas Child, the Air Force cadets also participate in different community projects countrywide.

We have read books about angels and seen movies about them. But despite their popularity in print, radio and television, we lack information on who they really are and what are their vital roles in our lives.

According to religious books, angels already existed even before the creation of the universe and of mankind. They are the loyal soldiers of God who are tasked to give protection and to guide mankind. For years, we have seen pictures of angels in religious books, mythology books and other literature of all cultures worldwide. Some of them have bodies and some have wings. To give you insights on what angels really are, read this article below.

What are they?

According to religious historical books, angels already existed before the Creation. They are beings from the lower region of heaven who act as special messengers and soldiers of God. According to religious experts, each of us has a guardian angel who guard and guide us in everything we do. They believed that angels are the ones who speak to us mentally giving warning when we do wrong.

According to religious intellectuals, there are about 30 types of angels and the most renowned according to spiritual hierarchy are:

• Archangel principalities
• Seraphim
• Powers
• Dominions
• Cherubim

Personas of Angels

Angels do not have gender and neither female or male. They are made up of love, energy and light, thus they do not have human form. You may ask why we see them in human personas, right? They exist and are shown in such form because it is in this manner that human beings are comfortable with. In some instances they appear in different forms like sounds, lights, feelings, colors and scents. Sometimes, they appear in dreams or in the form of departed loved ones to give special message to us.

Some people ask if they are worthy of reverence, while some inquire if we need to pray to them. It is only to God that we pray, thus we do not pray to them. We interact and talk to them to ask for guidance. Bear in mind that they do not have the freedom of choice and will do to what they want like human beings. They are not permitted nor they have the authority to interfere with our lives, unless they are ordered by God to carry out some special mission and orders.

If you are down and troubled and you have no one to turn too, you can always talk to them and discuss with them your problems. Remember that they see everything and they know everything about you. There is nothing wrong if you ask guidance and help from them when needed.

To contact your angel, you can call them anytime and anywhere you may be. You can also build an altar for them where you can meditate and where you can ask for their guidance.

You can choose a place for the said purpose. It can be a small table or a book shelf in the corner of your room where you can communicate with them and where you can speak to them. You can place table cloth, candles, stones, flowers or figures of angels on this area.

Olive trees are not just an ordinary tree that can be seen anywhere, but it is one type of tree which has numerous benefits.

Attributes and History of Olive trees

Olive tree, also known as Olea Europaea, is the oldest fruit tree that plays a vital role not only in the trade, religion and health, but also in the rise and fall of ancient empires across the Mediterranean. It serves as the foundation of powerful Greek and Roman empires. It played an important role in the development of their political and economic forces and the decline of these empires was attributed to the destruction of thousand orchards of olive trees, thereby reducing their source of olive oil, olives, olive soap and olive wood. Historically, it was deemed as a symbol of peace and goodwill because during Israeli-Palestinian war, about 50,000 olive trees were destroyed which resulted to anger and demonstration of the people in West Bank and Gaza strip. Majority of  farmers depended on them for their living and source of income.

Role of Olive Oil in Religion

According to the Old Testament, olive oil was used as an essential oil to anoint kings and prophets. It was also used as source of fuel to light lamps in the temples of Jerusalem and symbolized the sign of peace for God and mankind.

Olive trees are considered sacred because Jesus Christ preached and lived in areas where olive trees are bountiful. According to the Bible, majority of the woods that Jesus Christ worked during his carpentry years are olive wood.

Apart from these, there are numerous instances where the olive trees are mentioned in the Bible. According to religious history, the cross where Jesus Christ was crucified was made of olive wood.

The majority of religious gifts, statues and ornaments are carved out of olive trees. Farmers do not cut olive trees for the sole purpose of carving items from them, but the wood used in carving these ornaments are those which dies out due to old age.

Why is Olive Tree is Considered an Immortal Tree?

Facts from the Holy Land reveal that olive trees are considered immortal because it can last for about two centuries. Even though their trunk disappears, new shoots start to appear, thereby paving way for the development of a new olive tree. In this manner, olive trees never die and live for several generations. It is for these reasons that the people of the Holy Land compared the rebirth of olive trees to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Health Benefits

Apart from healing powers mentioned in the Bible, olive oil has numerous health benefits.

The known and common benefits of olive oil include:

• It reduces bad cholesterol levels.
• It decreases blood cholesterol.
• It mitigates the growth of cancer cells.
• It decreases the wear and tear of organs and tissues of the body caused by aging.
• It reduces the acidity of the gastrointestinal system.
• It protects individuals against ulcer.
• It assists in the passage of food in the intestines.
• It prevents constipation.
• It aids in the growth of normal bones.
• It reduces the risk of gallstones development.

Have you heard of the mysterious Well of Souls? Did you know that the answer to these mysteries are hidden beneath the ruined Jewish Temple, which is believed to be found under the Islamic shrine beneath an undisclosed underground cave.

It is believed that the Well of Souls is found on Jerusalem, in a site known as Temple Mount to the Jews and Noble Sanctuary to the Muslims. According to religious experts, the Well of Souls contain the elusive, mysterious and fabled Ark of  the Covenant. According to the Bible, the Ark of  the Covenant is the sacred vessel that contains the original Ten Commandments which God gave to Moses in Mount Sinai, when the ancient Israelites strayed the desert.

Some people say that the Wells of Souls is found under a natural cave where Abraham prepared his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. No one knows whether this Wells of Souls really exists or its just a mystery, but knocking the cave floor beneath the Muslim Dome of Rock shrine produces a hollow echo, which some people alleged as a hidden chamber. However, some individuals also concluded that this sound is the byproduct of small fissure below the floor. Some individuals alleged that the Temple Mount contains 45 cisterns, tunnels, chambers and caves.

What is The Ark of  the Covenant?

Don’s ask Indiana Jones, but it is considered the most important Biblical relics of all times because it contains the bedrock of righteous Christian life, the Ten Commandments. For centuries, the mystery of the Ark of  the Covenant aroused the interests of laymen,  scholars, explorers and writers.

Results of the archeological studies of W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research senior fellow Shimon Gibson reveal the presence of historical references of the Ark during the First Temple’s establishment, but records disappeared completely during 40 B.C., the time of King Herod.

Some alleged that the Ark was destroyed during the demolition of the First Temple in about 586 B.C. They believed that it was hidden and spirited away during the invasion. Some also purported that the Ark could have been stolen or destroyed during the invasion of Roman legions in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Biblical accounts show that the Ark was made of wood and coated with several sheets of gold. Since it was made of wood, some scholars concluded that the Ark was destroyed and was not able to survive the unfavorable weather conditions, otherwise it contained holy properties.

According to archeologist Ronny Reich from Haifa University, countless books were written about the account of the Ark of  the Covenant and movies were filmed to account the existence of the Ark, but no real data was found about it.

At present, the Temple Mount and the natural cave underneath the Dome of Rock are open to tourists, depending on the political and local security situation.

Until now, the Ark of  the Covenant remains a mystery to everybody and no one really knows its location, its status and its whereabouts. A mystery that stays hidden for centuries.

There have been many issues that involved changing original Christmas traditions for the sake of being politically correct.

Just recently, at Rhode Island, during the annual tree lighting event, Governor Lincoln Chafee insisted upon calling what people have always known as a Christmas tree, a Holiday Tree instead. This is in an effort to respect the religious diversity of the State.

Unfortunately, not everyone responded nicely to this change. Soon Gov. Chafee’s office was filled with complains that didn’t just come from the state but also from all parts of the country. A big portion of Rhode Island’s residents are Catholics and for them, the change is a direct insult to their tradition. Changing the name erases what is for them, the true meaning of this holiday: the birth of Christ.

Gov Chaffee however pretty much stands by his decision and even argues that if the tree is inside his house, then it would be called a Christmas tree. But for the sake of the public, the tree that was mounted for this particular holiday will be called a Holiday tree. Rhode Island, after all, is supposed to be a sanctuary of different religions and hence there shouldn’t be any biases in terms of religion whenever the state celebrates a holiday.

Republican lawmaker Doreen Costa couldn’t disagree more. She argues that the governor is trying too hard to be politically correct. She even went as far as putting up her own Christmas tree located at the State house and decided to light it up on the same day that the Holiday day tree was lit. This way, people can have an option: go for the Holiday tree or the Christmas tree?

Even the Christmas tree farm that donated the tree to the state had something to say about it. They candidly argued that they are a Christmas tree farm and not a Holiday tree farm.

Those who opposed the Governor’s decision argue further that in the first place, no one has been offended by the fact that a Christmas tree is called a Christmas tree. The purpose that motivated the change is simply not worth it compared to the controversies created.

The question here is whether other religions really do mind the way Christmas is being celebrated.

Apparently, Muslims don’t have anything against it. They even have their own trees as decoration and even exchange gifts too.

Jews are pretty neutral about Christmas too. They even participate with the events although they don’t consider it a religious holiday like the Christians do.

There’s simply no religion that disagrees with what Christmas is about: goodwill, joy and peace. Even atheists agree that what Christmas represents is right and that is enough for it to be celebrated.

Is there actually anybody out there who finds Christmas activities offending?

Would anyone disapprove of giving Christmas gifts to charities during Christmas time? Sure it could be done more often and at different time of year, but a lot of people are actually happy at the idea that there is one time of the year where help is abundant.

Christmas season is not just a celebration that is exclusive to Christianity after all so why make a big deal about the religious aspect of it like this?

Introduction

Palestine, the Holy Land, is visited by people of different faith – Jews, Christians and Muslims. Bethlehem is been a pilgrim center for Christians. Bethlehem and olive wood handmade sculptures are meant to save humanity. The Olive branch signifies love, good health and peace. The Bible mentions the olive branch in Noah’s Ark.
Olive Wood Articles

Olive wood is ideal for carving works and lends itself easy to work accurately with simple hand tools. It is available in natural colors. Its tonal depth due to annular structure renders complex artistic carvings possible. Religious articles, crosses, picture frames, cute boxes, paper knives, ink stands and crucifixes are some of the olive wood handicrafts made by the dexterous fingers of men and women of Bethlehem. Tourists from Europe taught the art of carving olive wood to the native people of Palestine. In turn there was transfer of wisdom to the workmen who eventually setup their own shops for these artistic items.

Mechanization

During the World Wars, Palestine was brought under British regime wherein a small industrial revolution stormed through the quiet cottage industry of olive wood carvings. Electric saws replaced hand saws. General purpose lathes and motorized drills replaced simple manual gadgets. Revolutionary copying machines were deployed to produce multiple designs from the master pattern operated by single workmen within a short time. This resulted in enormous increase in volume of production at a faster rate with high degree of accuracy. New products such as chandeliers, beads were also added to the array of sculptural works. In essence the market was flooded with articles at affordable prices beckoning tourists from all over the world. Owners of business houses made high profits due to reduced cost of mass production. The high volume of production enabled export of artworks to countries all over the world.

Ill Effects of Mass Production

Mechanization had its own adverse effects – high degree of unemployment and lack of job satisfaction amongst artisans. Original hand carved masterpieces became things of the past. Precious creativity of artisans was killed virtually. Workmen were utilized as mere assembly mechanics and machinists.

To cut short the process time, irrigated olive wood was used as raw material which was inferior in quality as it contained moisture. This resulted in cracking and disfiguring of the artworks despite careful handling. This quality dilution resulted in sudden rejection of souvenirs by tourists.

Other Problems

The perennial struggle between the ethnic groups in Palestine resulted in political uncertainty and economic imbalance. Israel imposed strict restrictions in respect of tourist guides and bus operators of West Bank and Gaza Strip. This had a negative effect on tourists visiting East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Tourists postponed or cancelled their trips fearing trouble. Pilgrims made trips in organized tours wherein they were taken to specific shops only for short duration. In some tour programs shopping facility might not be available.
Small business houses and individual artisans were unable to compete with the big business houses as they were not able to cut production costs owing to small volumes and hence their products were priced out.
On the whole, the overall situation was grim for olive wood industry at the end of the twentieth century.

Religious gifts are the best way to touch the hearts of our loved ones. No other gift can replicate these religious gifts as they are widely accepted by all types of people. Before choosing a religious gift, we should know something personal about the person. All of us do have faith in some religion and so this is the main factor to be considered while choosing a religious gift. The religious background of the person is the basis on which we select the religious gift for him. If unknowingly we give a wrong gift, then it would cause much harm than good.

If you are a Christian follower or do wish to give some gifts to some one of Christian faith then there are actually plenty of options before you to choose. Most of the Christian religious gifts are based from the events of the bible. It may include both incidents from the Old Testament and New Testament as well. Bible offers us a variety of subjects covering happiness, suffering, sadness, pain, charity and hope. Any occasion you think off, there are incidents in bible which you can make use of to prepare gifts to your loved ones.

The most popular religious gifts of the catholic faith do come from the Holy Land. These are genuine handmade gifts from Bethlehem. Most of these handmade gifts are made from olive woods. These woods are taken from olive trees which are hundreds and thousands of years old and found in the locality of Bethlehem. These trees are believed to be very holy as they are in existence from the times of Jesus Christ. Bethlehem is the place where Christ lived and preached among people. So the woods from these trees are found very holy by the faithful.

The wood is never harvested by killing live trees but in fact the woods are taken from the branches of those trees that have been cut down for maintenance or those trees that have died due to old age or disease. Most of these olive trees are thousands of years old and the authorities make sure that no live tree is cut down to take wood from it. The suppliers of these olive woods should certify that these woods are from the Holy Land and no live tree has been cut down for the purpose of taking woods.

The religious gifts from the Holy Land especially those made out of the olive woods are very popular among the faithful. There are many handmade gifts that can be made out these olive woods. In fact the craftsmen of the surrounding locality do come with more and more new ideas each time. Some of the products that can be made out of these woods are a cross with a leather strap for the purpose of hanging it around our neck or a handmade statue to be kept in your home. There are some websites were we can go for specialization by selecting the event of our choice from the bible and ask them to do a statue on it.

Bethlehem is a haven for artists who wish to earn a living for themselves. It attracted a large number of buyers all the way from Israel and other parts of the world until the Palestinian takeover. Nevertheless, the artists there continued to thrive by making out a living with the skills that they have been blessed with. The olive wood artists started practicing their craft from the start of the fourth century. This skill was taught mainly by the monks who came to that area. The monks taught them how to cut and shape the olive wood so that they can create beautiful statues.

Larger artists had only one major problem, how to bring buyers into Bethlehem to see their work. In the case of the smaller artists, they faced several roadblocks (pun intended). They faced problems in getting tools to do their job. Since they were not as well established like a few others, they could not get enough buyers as many chose to buy the lovely olive wood gifts from the established artists. So, these smaller artists had to do with what little they have.

Many of the smaller artists work from their own basements or little nooks. They do not have the resources to have a separate office or workshop. Many of the houses in Bethlehem have a basement. So, the artists make use of these basements to work on the lovely products. Even a little space somewhere in their homes is more than enough for them to work. As an example, one artist had a small workshop measuring only about 3 meters by 3 meters (just under 30 square feet). You can barely call this a workshop he made do with whatever space that was available to him. His gift was making little crosses. He used to get olive wood from the market. Once getting the olive wood transported to his ‘workshop’, he used to carve them until they came to the shape of a cross. Once the shape has been achieved, he used to smooth them until the edges are perfect. With a little laquer and a few more finishing touches, the gift would be ready. Then, he used to take it to the market to see if he could get any buyers for his products. Since he was a smaller artist, he would not attract many buyers immediately.

Another artist had so little space for a workshop that one needed to duck in order to move inside it. There was not even space for an average adult to walk upright inside his basement workshop. But, a little space was all that was needed for him to make his gifts. He used to sit in his little wooden desk and carve various Mother of Perl pendants, earrings and broaches.

Even the smallest artists can make do with a little ingenuity.

For thousands of years the Olive Tree has been associated with holistic concepts like love, good health, peace and more. It is a great symbol of Christian tradition. It is said that during the sailing of Noah’s Ark, the dove carried an olive branch in its beak signifying that land was found. Even Jesus Christ offered prayers for the welfare of humanity near an olive tree at Jerusalem immediately after the famous Last Supper. It is believed that the holy tree still exists and is visited by pilgrims in Jerusalem even to this day. The sacred olive oil has been used to anoint papal authorities, clergymen, faithful followers of Christianity and Head of States.

The tall, stately and evergreen Olive tree owes its origin to the Mediterranean Region where it was growing even before the Birth of Christ, as early as 2500 BC. Olive wood has some special properties – it is ideal for carving; it is easy to work precisely with standard tools. Olive wood is available in different colors and it is resistant to decay.
This glorious Olive wood has been converted into artistic master pieces in the olden days by artisans from France and Italy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries AD. These artisans, who traveled to Bethlehem on pilgrimage, taught the local people the art of carving on olive wood. In fact this was a major industry running profitably at that point of time in Europe. In due course the local people mastered the art of carving olive wood and many adopted it as a family business. Even today you will be able to find descendants of the old families of artisans earning their bread and butter from this job.

Olive wood can be carved into beautiful master pieces in the form of crosses, crucifixes, statues, boxes and picture frame covers for historical and old books. Furthermore exquisite candle holders, rosaries, urns, flower vases and other Christian ornaments can be carved out of olive wood.

Olive wood carving is a labor intensive work. The process is elaborate which can be divided into six stages of operation. The wood is subject to traditional drilling and machining operations to form the rough outline of carving. Then comes the role of a skilled artisan who chisels with great precision to produce the finished product. The art piece is subjected to burr removal and polishing operations. The finished product is given a final coating of olive wax or lacquer to impart natural shine and long life before dispatch. The entire process cycle takes about 45 days.

Artisans require special skill to carry out these artistic works. They are trained rigorously for a period of 6 to 7 years to attain perfection in this trade.

But for the artisans of Bethlehem you will not be in a position to obtain these world famous olive wood marvels! Also Palestinian Churches thrive on account of these artisans and their creations. In turn the country’s economy looks up!