1. Adam and Eve The symbol of the Adam and Eve story is an apple, a fruit which represents disobedience to God. Adam and Eve wanted to be ‘like God’ and out of envy were drawn towards what is wrong. They stopped trusting in God’s goodness, and freely chose to disobey his command, committing humankind’s first sin. We hang these apples as a symbol on the tree to remember Adam and Eve, it represents Adam and Eve letting God down, it is also the story that begins all the other stories on this tree. Adam and Eve were sent away from their home and from the tree of life, but Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe that God continued to love Adam and Eve and their children and their children’s children: that is why there are so many stories to tell.

2. Noah and the flood The story of the flood is intended to show Noah’s faithfulness and trust in God. He did exactly what God asked him to do, and believed that God would take care of his family and all the creatures in the ark. God made a promise to Noah and his descendants – a universal promise which relates to all humankind. Even today a dove like the one mentioned in the story, symbolises peace, love, hope and forgiveness. The symbols for Noah are an ark and a dove. We hang the ark and the dove on the tree as a symbol to remember that God has made a covenant, a solemn promise with every living creature on the earth. Noah and his family had a new start and from this beginning grows all other life stories on this tree.

3. Abraham, Father of God’s people Abraham was one of Noah’s descendants and the first great biblical leader of the people of Israel. During Abraham’s lifetime, a special trust grew between God and his family. Abraham was always ready to have faith in God and do whatever was asked, so God made a promise with Abraham and his descendants, that they would be his people and he would be their God. Abraham knew that nothing was impossible with God We hang the star scene to represent Abraham’s many descendants and of course Abraham himself

4. Sacrifice of Isaac Abraham’s obedience to God was illustrated when he was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He showed no hesitation in carrying out God’s command, and demonstrated the depth of his love for God by his willingness to sacrifice his precious son. Isaac’s symbol is a dagger. We hang a dagger on our tree to represent Abraham’s obedience to God

5. Jacob’s ladder Jacob was one of Isaac’s sons, and his faith in God became even greater after his amazing dream. Jacob was given the name ‘Israel’ by God and so his descendants became known as the ‘Children of Israel’. Jacob’s symbol is a ladder. We hang these ladders on our tree. Just when Jacob thought he had lost everything, he dreamed of a ladder

6. Joseph Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, and his father’s favourite child. Even when his brothers plotted to get rid of him, God took care of Joseph. Joseph always stayed close to God, he did not misuse his power or seek revenge against his brothers. Instead he forgave all those who had done him harm, and made sure that the ‘children of Israel’ did not suffer or starve. Through Joseph, God took care of his chosen people We hang a brightly coloured coat on the tree as a symbol of the way Joseph was brought up, and a sign of the great leader he became, and also 2 wheat sheaf’s because Joseph made sure the ‘children of Israel’ did not suffer

7. Moses Moses was another great leader of the Israelites. At God’s command he defied the Pharoah and led the people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses was strong and courageous, and did whatever God commanded, because he had complete faith and trust in him. Moses used a staff to make a path through the sea. The burning bush represents many things to Jews and Christians such as God's miraculous energy, sacred light, illumination, and the burning heart of purity, love and clarity; it represents Moses' reverence and fear before the divine presence. We hang the burning bush and a staff on the tree to represent Moses and the moment God called Moses to be a great leader and set his people free

8. Moses and the Ten Commandments God wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone and gave them to Moses and his people to keep, so that the Israelites might live at peace with him and each other. God spoke to Moses face to face and made a promise with him to always be with his people. We hang the 2 stone tablets on our tree as a symbol of the Ten Commandments

9. Isaiah’s prophecy Isaiah was a prophet and was called to be a prophet after God appeared to him in a vision in the Temple. Isaiah realised that salvation lies in faith and putting yourself completely in the hands of God. He believed in and foretold the coming of the true son of David, promised by God, a saviour who would one day come to establish universal peace and love. The fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy is symbolised by a scroll We hang a scroll on our tree as a symbol of the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy

10. Bethlehem House Jesse was a descendant of Abraham, who lived in a town called Bethlehem in Judea. God had chosen David, Jesse’s youngest son to be King Saul’s successor and to lead the people of Israel. So it came to be that the saviour God had promised to send would be a descendant of Jesse’s family who came from Bethlehem, their family home. We hang this house on our tree as a symbol of Bethlehem, the town where Jesse lived

11. King David As the youngest of Jesse’s sons, David was considered the least important, but God chose him to lead his people. David united the tribes of Israel into one kingdom, and made Jerusalem his capital city. There he bought the Ark of the Covenant and made plans to build a magnificent Temple for the Lord. God promised that his descendants would be a continuous royal line. King David was known as the ‘sweet psalmist of Israel’ and is believed to have written many songs and poems (psalms) to praise and honour God. We hang a harp on our tree as a symbol to remember that David wrote many songs and poems about God and that he loved God all of his life.

12. King Solomon Solomon was King David’s son and was renowned for his great wisdom. He is said to have written many wise sayings and is believed to be the author of much of the book of proverbs. Under Solomon’s wise kingship, the Israelites enjoyed peace and prosperity. As his father had planned, Solomon spent seven years building the Temple where the people worshipped God, and it became central to the life of Israel. We hang the Temple archway as a symbol to remind us that Solomon built the Temple, where many came to worship God

13. Daniel Daniel was a wise and faithful servant. He became a very important person in the land of Babylon, he was a wise man and could understand mysteries and several times he helped the King to understand his dreams. The king of Babylon King Darius gave Daniel a very important job – to run the country. The other leaders were jealous and began to plot as to how they could get him into trouble. The jealous leaders knew that Daniel prayed three times a day without fail and they persuaded King Darius to pass a law that no one must pray to anyone but the king for 30 days. Anyone caught making illegal prayers would be thrown to the lions. They reported Daniel for praying to God and King Darius was very sad. Daniel was taken to the pit where the lions were kept. They pushed him in and sealed the door with wax so no one could open the door without breaking the seal. In the morning the seal was still intact and when the guards unlocked it, Daniel walked out unharmed, strong and well. He said the lions didn’t attack him and just slept, King Darius sent out a decree that everyone was to honour the God of Daniel because Daniels God was a living God and had saved him from the lions. We hang the symbol of a lion on the tree for Daniel, to remember how God rescued him, but also how he loved to pray and listen to God, with his windows open towards Jerusalem

14. Joseph the Carpenter Like his ancestors before him, Joseph had great faith and trust in God. He was a just and honourable man who bore the responsibilities of a father perfectly. He was with Mary when Jesus was born, and, when the wise men came to worship the new-born child, they found Joseph taking care of him. He took Jesus as a baby to be presented in the Temple, and shared Mary’s fears when twelve year old Jesus seemed to be lost in Jerusalem. Joseph was a craftsman by trade, and probably taught Jesus the skills of a carpenter We hang the symbol of a saw and hammer on the tree to remember Joseph, who worked as a carpenter, listened to God, and was always mending things

15. Mary, the mother of Jesus When Mary learned that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God, she rejoiced and praised God. God chose a daughter of Israel to be the mother of his son. By giving consent to God’s word, Mary agreed to be the mother of God’s son, and brought to fulfilment the divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah : ‘Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son’ (Isaiah 7:14) We hang this white rose on the tree to symbolise Mary, the mother of Jesus, a beautiful flower which represents her purity and sinless perfection

16. John the Baptist John the Baptist was the son of Mary’s elderly cousin Elizabeth, who had been childless for many years. From the moment the angel appeared to Zechariah, and told him that he would have a son whose name would be John. John had been sent to Elizabeth by God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and came to prepare the people for the coming of the Saviour Jesus. Many people who confessed their sins to him were baptised in the River Jordan, and so John became known as the ‘Baptist’. Zechariah had been struck dumb because he did not believe the angel Gabriel’s message that he would have a son. So when the child was born and people asked him what he wanted to name his son, Zechariah had to write his answer down for them. He probably wrote on paper made from papyrus using a reed pen dipped in ink. We hang this writing board and pen on the tree as a symbol of John the Baptist

17. Jesus, Saviour of the World When the time came for Mary to have her child, she gave birth to a son and they named in Jesus. Three wise men had seen his star rise in the heavens, and they followed it because they wanted to worship the new-born king. The sight of the star filled them with joy, as it hung in the sky above the place where Jesus lay. Going in, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they fell to their knees and worshipped him. So it came to be that the Saviour God had promised to his faithful people was born in Bethlehem in Judea just as the prophets had foretold: We hang these stars to represent Jesus the Saviour of the World