Pope receives ‘Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land’ painting by Israeli artist

Pope Francis has received a painting called “Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land,” made by an Israeli artist, calling it a “very special gift.”

Nilly Shachor from the moshav Sde Warburg in Israel got the inspiration for the painting while she was walking in the fields. After tripping and falling on some branches, Shachor realised how they appeared in an unusual formation on the ground, reminding her of Jesus Christ.

Shachor decided to call her friend, Prof. Dina Porat from Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, who was going to attend an international conference on antisemitism in Rome.

“Nilly sent me a photo of the unusual composition and asked, half-jokingly, if perhaps I could meet the Pope and bring him a very special gift from the soil of the Holy Land,” Prof. Porat said.

Prof. Porat decided to give it a shot, calling Father Norbert Hofmann, Secretary of the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. Hofmann liked the idea and said he would help Prof. Porat give the painting to the Pope.

Arriving in Rome a few days later, Hofmann had arranged for Prof. Porat to sit in VIP section next to a stage where the Pope would hold the General Audience where he greets visitors.

Originally from Buenos Aires, like the Pope, Prof. Porat addressed him in Spanish when she met him, offering him the gift.

“It was a very exciting event. Thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Vatican’s large plaza, sang songs and merrily waved their flags. The Pope came near and shook people’s hands. When he approached me, I offered him the gift. He was moved and asked his attendants to safeguard the artwork,” she recalled.

“It was a very meaningful experience for me, and I hope that ‘Jesus from the soil of the Holy Land’ is now displayed on a wall somewhere in the Vatican.”