The House · Old Caritas Street
The AbuAita family of Bethlehem
Saint Michael Store is owned by Johnny AbuAita, a Bethlehem Christian. His family has lived in the Holy Land for many generations, most of them in and around Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, where the angel first appeared to the shepherds.
Johnny is proud to carry on the local custom of hospitality and openness to all people who come to the Holy Land to visit, to pray, to learn, and to travel in the footsteps of Jesus. The house is locally owned and run by the family itself.
II · The Makers
Forty families of makers
The house offers the handicrafts of members of forty different Bethlehem families. Each piece is chosen for its quality from the best workshops in the town.
Many of the makers learned the trade from their fathers, who learned it from theirs. Olive wood carving and mother of pearl work have been practised in Bethlehem for centuries, and it is these families who keep them alive.
Why Saint Michael
Saint Michael, the Archangel, is a protector of pilgrims and a guardian of truth and honesty. His name is a reminder that pilgrims travel far to come to the Holy Land, and that each one carries a blessing from God to see the land where the Christian faith was born.
The Archangel is also held to be the guardian and protector of the holy city of Bethlehem. His mosaic is set into the stone of the house, beside the door.
The door is open, Monday to Saturday.
Old Caritas Street, Bethlehem · Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 8 pm
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