When my husband was a teenager, he heard an advertisement on Christian radio for a teen trip to Israel. He was interested, so he applied to be part of the trip. When he was accepted for the trip, then he told his parents about it! Thankfully, they said yes to the trip and it was there at a campfire in a Bedouin camp that he received a call to ministry.

I’ve never been to Israel, but I’m interested whenever I get an opportunity to talk with someone who has been there or see objects from the Holy Land. That’s why I was excited when the new company, Artza Box, sent me a gift box filled with items from the Holy Land and asked me to share the experience with you. Each box features a different area of the Holy Land and is packed full with items from local artisans. There are even cards that describe the work of each artisan. That made me feel like I had toured their workspace and took home a souvenir. This particular box featured items from Bethlehem (not Bethlehem PA which is about 15 minutes from my home!).

This particular box included dark chocolate, toffee, a candle, a decorative plate of Bethlehem (which I have hanging in my home; I love the bright blue on it!), photo postcards, almond butter and a cookie recipe to use the almond butter in, Christmas themed talk starters, and two ornaments. 

This may be a great gift for someone on your list or something you’d like for yourself. Use discount code SCRIPTURE15 for 15% off at checkout. 

The thing that struck me the most as I was holding the objects in my hand is that it is a reminder that the stories in the Bible are real. The places in the Bible like Bethlehem are real. Jesus was physically born here on earth. The Artza gift box is a tangible way to ground the Scripture stories in time and place, the next best thing to actually being able to visit. Plus I love the idea of supporting local crafters. 

Here’s an unboxing video if you’d like to see more: