Bible Woods

Listed on the menu at the left are some of the woods that have been identified, and listed below are a few of those woods with their suggested symbology:

With each item purchased we enclose a card describing the wood used and care instructions for the item being purchased. Many of the woods used are very aromatic. In order to help you to also appreciate this, we enclose a small bag with some wood shavings in it.

The research that has gone into identifying the woods mentioned in the Bible has been an exhausting journey but has been an enjoyable one. Some woods are readily available, others are extremely rare. We have taken great care to use the exact subspecies of the woods in our items, however where the specific subspecies is unavailable today we have chosen the closest possible relative to represent that wood.
 

Common Bible Wood Questions:

A few of the more common questions that we've received:

• What kind of wood was used by Noah to build the Ark?
• What wood was used in making the Ark of the Covenant?
• What wood was Jesus' cross made from?

Please contact us via E-mail for other questions or comments.

What kind of wood was used by Noah to build the Ark?

When most people think of Noah's Ark, they think of Gopherwood. However, the root of the Hebrew word (go-fir) is a verb meaning to build, or to house, which would imply how the wood was used, not necessarily the species of tree. Most recent Bible translations state that Cypress was the wood that was use in the building of the Ark due to the other descriptive terms used.

What wood was used in making the Ark of the Covenant?

According to Exodus 25:10 the Ark of the Covenant was made from Shittim Wood (acacia seyal).

What wood was Jesus' cross made from?

This has been the subject of much debate and disagreement among historians, botanists, and Bible scholars. There are many legends, however there is very limited scriptural evidence to suggest what the wood may have been. There are some that believe that Olive Wood or Cedar of Lebanon was used. Others suggest that perhaps it was Cypress, Pine Wood, or Planetree Wood. Some even suggest that perhaps Dogwood was used, however there aren't any Biblical references to the Dogwood tree, only legends.

Some clues are available from published works outside of the Scriptures. There are fragment relics out there that many claim are of the True Cross. Some skeptics joke that there are enough of these fragments to build a battleship out of the pieces. 

In 1870, Rohault de Fleury published "Mémoire sur les instruments de la Passion" in which he attempted to catalog all of the known fragments. The author determined that, at that time, if all of the relic pieces were put together, they would not even amount to one-third of the Cross which is said to have stood four meters in height, with a traverse branch of two meters. The author further claims that upon "A microscopic examination of the fragments of the Cross, scattered through the world in the form of relics, reveals the fact that it was made from a pine tree."

If the Cross was indeed made from a pine tree, that raises the question as to what species of pine. There are hundreds of species of pine spread throughout the world. But, only a few were common in the Holy Land at the time of the Crucifixion. The most common pine species in the area is pinus halepensis, or what's commonly known today as Aleppo Pine, and apinus pinea (Stone Pine).