{"product_id":"bethlehem-star-standing-crucifix","title":"Olive Wood Standing Crucifix with Mother of Pearl \u0026 Bethlehem Star","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eolive wood standing crucifix with Mother of Pearl\u003c\/strong\u003e is handcrafted in Bethlehem and distinguished by a \u003cstrong\u003e14-point Bethlehem Star\u003c\/strong\u003e positioned directly behind the figure of Christ. The star reproduces the traditional form of the 14-point star in the Grotto of the Nativity at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, marking the traditional site of the birth of Jesus. Mother of Pearl and iridescent abalone shell frame the olive wood cross, while a silver-tone corpus and INRI plaque complete this richly detailed Holy Land devotional piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStanding approximately \u003cstrong\u003e9.1 in (23 cm)\u003c\/strong\u003e high including its stepped base, the crucifix is designed for display on a home altar, prayer table, mantel, bedside table, desk, or other dedicated place of Christian prayer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eThe 14-Point Bethlehem Star\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of this crucifix is one of its most distinctive details: a \u003cstrong\u003e14-point Bethlehem Star\u003c\/strong\u003e placed behind Christ. Its form reproduces the traditional 14-point star found in the Grotto of the Nativity beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where the star marks the traditional site of the birth of Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion of this particular star creates a direct visual connection between the crucifix and Bethlehem. The Nativity and the Crucifixion are brought together within the same devotional object: the star recalls the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, while the corpus presents Christ upon the Cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRather than functioning simply as ornament, the Bethlehem Star gives this crucifix a distinctive identity rooted in one of Christianity's most important pilgrimage sites and in the city where the piece itself was made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eOlive Wood from the Holy Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe structural body and standing base are made from \u003cstrong\u003eHoly Land olive wood\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose natural grain remains visible around the edges of the cross and throughout the stepped base. Each piece of olive wood develops its own pattern of golden, amber, and darker brown grain, so natural variations are expected from one crucifix to another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOlive wood has a particularly strong connection with the biblical landscape. Olive trees appear repeatedly throughout Scripture, while the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane hold an important place in the Gospel accounts of the final days of Jesus before the Crucifixion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor generations, Christian artisans in and around Bethlehem have also worked olive wood into crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, Nativity scenes, and other devotional objects for local Christians and pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eMother of Pearl \u0026amp; Bethlehem Craftsmanship\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe face of the cross is decorated with luminous \u003cstrong\u003eMother of Pearl\u003c\/strong\u003e, complemented by darker iridescent shell inlay along the edges and selected sections of the crucifix and its base. Depending on the light and viewing angle, the shell can reveal shades of pearl white, cream, silver, green, blue, violet, and bronze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMother-of-pearl work has an important place in the history of Bethlehem craftsmanship. From the late sixteenth century onward, the Franciscans played a significant role in developing and encouraging local workshops that worked olive wood and Mother of Pearl into Christian devotional objects, architectural models, crosses, rosaries, reliquaries, and pilgrimage keepsakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the following centuries, this combination of \u003cstrong\u003eolive wood and Mother of Pearl\u003c\/strong\u003e became closely associated with Bethlehem's Christian artisan tradition. The shell itself is not presented as a material originating in the Holy Land; its significance here lies in the centuries-old craft tradition through which Bethlehem artisans incorporated it into Christian devotional work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eIridescent Abalone Shell Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSections of \u003cstrong\u003eiridescent abalone shell\u003c\/strong\u003e introduce deeper colour around the predominantly white Mother of Pearl. The shell appears along the arms and upper section of the cross as well as across the stepped olive wood base, visually connecting the standing base with the crucifix above it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause natural shell varies in pattern and iridescence, these sections can differ slightly from piece to piece. The variations are part of the character of the natural material rather than a defect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eThe Corpus of Christ \u0026amp; INRI\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003esilver-tone corpus of Christ\u003c\/strong\u003e stands in relief from the Mother of Pearl surface, making this a crucifix rather than a plain cross. Above Christ is the traditional \u003cstrong\u003eINRI\u003c\/strong\u003e plaque, referring to the Latin inscription \u003cem\u003eIesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum\u003c\/em\u003e — Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe silver-tone corpus contrasts with the warm olive wood, pale Mother of Pearl, colourful shell inlay, and gold-tone Bethlehem Star behind it, making the figure of Christ the central devotional focus of the piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eStations of the Cross Engraved on the Reverse\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe devotional detail continues on the reverse of the crucifix, where the \u003cstrong\u003eStations of the Cross are engraved into the olive wood\u003c\/strong\u003e. This transforms the back from a simple finished surface into another meaningful part of the piece, recalling the events of Christ's Passion and the traditional devotion that follows his journey toward Calvary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe engraving creates a natural connection with the Crucifixion represented on the front. While the \u003cstrong\u003e14-point Bethlehem Star\u003c\/strong\u003e recalls the Nativity and the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, the Stations on the reverse turn toward his Passion and death. Together, the two sides bring different moments in the life of Christ into a single devotional object.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe word \u003cstrong\u003eJerusalem\u003c\/strong\u003e is also engraved on the reverse, connecting the Stations and the Crucifixion with the Holy City where the Passion took place. This additional detail is normally hidden when the crucifix is viewed from the front, but becomes visible when the piece is lifted or turned, rewarding closer examination of the craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eFrom Bethlehem, the City of the Nativity\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis crucifix is \u003cstrong\u003ehandcrafted in Bethlehem in the Holy Land\u003c\/strong\u003e, a city whose Christian artisan traditions developed alongside centuries of pilgrimage to the Church of the Nativity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe design brings several elements of that tradition together: Holy Land olive wood, the historic Bethlehem practice of Mother-of-Pearl devotional craftsmanship, and the 14-point Bethlehem Star modeled on the star associated with the Grotto of the Nativity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat combination gives the crucifix a particularly strong connection with Bethlehem. It is not simply a standing crucifix made in the Holy Land; details within the object deliberately reference the Christian history and artistic tradition of the city in which it was created.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eA Standing Crucifix for Home Prayer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe integrated stepped base allows the crucifix to stand independently on a flat surface without wall mounting. At approximately \u003cstrong\u003e9.1 in (23 cm)\u003c\/strong\u003e high, it is substantial enough to become a visible focal point while remaining suitable for smaller devotional spaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt can be placed on a \u003cstrong\u003ehome altar, prayer table, mantel, bedside table, shelf, or desk\u003c\/strong\u003e, providing a permanent visual focus for personal or family prayer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe standing format also distinguishes it from a wall crucifix: it can be moved between rooms or incorporated into a changing prayer space without installation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eA Meaningful Christian Gift from Bethlehem\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its Bethlehem craftsmanship and distinctive Nativity symbolism, this standing crucifix is particularly suited to significant Christian occasions. It can be given for \u003cstrong\u003eChristmas, Easter, weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings and house blessings, ordination, Confirmation, OCIA, birthdays, or other milestones of faith\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bethlehem Star makes it especially meaningful as a Christmas or Nativity gift, while the crucifix itself gives the piece a devotional purpose that extends throughout the entire Christian year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt can also serve as a meaningful Holy Land gift for someone who has visited Bethlehem, hopes to make a future pilgrimage, or has a particular devotion to the Nativity and the places associated with the life of Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #9a7530;\"\u003eSize \u0026amp; Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTotal height:\u003c\/strong\u003e approximately 9.1 in (23 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary material:\u003c\/strong\u003e Holy Land olive wood\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCross face:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mother of Pearl\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDecorative inlay:\u003c\/strong\u003e Iridescent abalone shell\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCentral feature:\u003c\/strong\u003e 14-point Bethlehem Star\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDevotional element:\u003c\/strong\u003e Silver-tone corpus of Christ\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInscription:\u003c\/strong\u003e INRI\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReverse:\u003c\/strong\u003e Engraved Stations of the Cross and Jerusalem inscription\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDisplay style:\u003c\/strong\u003e Free-standing crucifix with stepped base\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCraftsmanship:\u003c\/strong\u003e Handcrafted in Bethlehem\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Holy Land\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePlease note: Olive wood and natural shell vary in grain, colour, pattern, and iridescence. These natural differences mean that each handcrafted crucifix will have its own individual appearance.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4 style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eCare Instructions\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDust gently with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid prolonged exposure to water, high humidity, perfume, household chemicals, and abrasive cleaners. Do not use harsh cleaning products on the Mother of Pearl, abalone shell, or metal components. Keep away from prolonged direct sunlight and strong heat, and handle the crucifix by its olive wood body or base when moving it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piece of Holy Land","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47234560786604,"sku":null,"price":109.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0638\/0784\/8620\/files\/bethlehem-star-standing-crucifix.jpg?v=1789646751","url":"https:\/\/www.pieceofholyland.com\/products\/bethlehem-star-standing-crucifix","provider":"Piece of Holy Land","version":"1.0","type":"link"}