How does Bethlehem look today ... Merchants sell all manner of souvenirs, from carved olive wood Nativity scenes to mother-of-pearl statuettes of the Virgin Mary. To attract customers, they ...

As Christmas approaches, the tradition of setting up a nativity scene becomes a cherished ... is meticulously carved from olive wood by Christian families in Bethlehem. These sets range in size ...

A nativity scene featuring baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh ... (credit: REUTERS/YARA NARDI) The sculpture was designed from olive wood, as well as mother-of-pearl, stone, ceramic, glass, felt ...

Bethlehem workshops where carvers toil over small pieces of olive wood sit empty these days. On most Easters the shops lining the streets of the town known as Jesus’s birthplace would be ...

Colm Flynn reports from Greccio, and the art historian Dr Geri Parlby explores the nativity scene’s fascinating story and enduring appeal. There will be no Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem ...

Bethlehem workshops where carvers toil over small pieces of olive wood sit empty these days. On most Easters the shops lining ...