Artist Statement: There is a common prayer gesture among Christians which is called praying hands or the hands clasped or placed together before the heart. Such a prayer gesture is a symbol of obedience, submission, sincerity, petition, and repentance.
Nathan Ausubel, in his book "Book of Jewish Knowledge” says that this prayer gesture is not exclusive to Christians alone. The Jews even before the time of Jesus Christ, practiced it: "It has also been commonly assumed that folding the hands in prayer is exclusively a Christian custom. This is not the historical fact at all. As early as the post-Exilic period, when Jews prayed, they folded their hands, and they observed this custom for several centuries even after it had been adopted by Christians." Jesus, being a Jew, also most likely prayed with clasped hands. You may have seen pictures or images of Him in the garden of Gethsemane in this prayer gesture. In other art works, you can also see the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints with their hands clasped as well.