Starts Among the most important economic activities in Bethlehem are local handicraft products made from olive wood, mother of pearl and coral.

The history of these handicrafts is directly linked to that of the Franciscan brotherhood in Bethlehem, which starting in the sixteenth century set up special centers for teaching the art of intaglio and working with mother of pearl, and encouraged the opening of artisan workshops dedicated to these techniques, in order to produce liturgical furnishings, creches and other handmade articles.