This is a  4-1/2 inch Praying Hands statue.  It is lovingly hand carved from Holy Land olive wood by Christian artisan Jeries Facouseh in Bethlehem.   What makes these praying hands different from the others offered from Israel is the exquistive detail shown in the hands.  Note the nail beds and the markings in the cuffs and how smooth the statue feels in your hands.    This statue is shipped with a Certificate of Authenticity from Bethlehem. 

Each statue is unique because each piece of olive wood is unique.  However, all have the distinctive olive wood markings.   These statues are made from olive wood trimmings.  No living tree was cut down to provide wood.   Olive trees can live to be 2000 years old.  According to a scientific survey, there are dozens of ancient olive trees throughout Israel and Palestine, 1,600–2,000 years old  (M. Kislew, Y. Tabak & O. Simhoni, Identifying the Names of Fruits in Ancient Rabbinic Literature, Leshonenu (Hebrew), vol. 69, p. 279).  So when you pick up and hold this set of praying hands, remember that this olive wood might have been from the time of Christ and or the early Christians.