There always seems to be some blind follower of faith or religious zealot who likes to judge & misquote the bible to condemn those of us who are tattooists and those who get tattoos.
These sheeple tend to use a particular passage from the bible as their backing for their misguided attempts to say that the children of God are blasphemous for receiving tattoos.
Sorry you zealots - you have been mislead by your illiteracy & inability to think for yourselves.
Please use this guide to read your scripture & educate yourselves.
I am by no means religious - spiritual is more the word...
Leviticus 19:28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor put any marks upon you: I am the Lord.
First let me point out that this is not tattooing - it is scarification.
Second - there is evidence of tattooing among Semites in a report by Scutt & Gotch that states that the sun god Baal required his worshipers to mark their hands with "divine tokens in a mystic attempt to divine strength"
More well read zealots will refer to the Council of Northumberland Edict of 787.
Unfortunately for them, they tend to not read the entire edict which I shall offer a well defined rebuttal with the actual text of that edict at the end of this document.
Let us now move onto the multitudes of different passages in the scripture that promote tattooing.
William McClure Thompson, a biblical scholar, states that Moses "either instituted such a custom [tattooing] or appropriated one already existing to a religious purpose"
Exodus 13:8-10
And you shall show your son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did to me when I came forth out of Egypt.
And it shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD's law may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand has the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
An interesting passage that instructs male Jews to tattoo their hands & forehead during passover.
A yearly rite that is to be passed on every year so "God can find the true children of Israel and give them the land of the Canaanites"
According to Thompson, Leviticus was a prohibition of heathen tattooing & not a restriction on Moses approved tattoos.
A further reference to Moses approved tattoos appears in
Deuteronomy 32:5
They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
Other examples of tattoos in scripture exist:
For example:
Revelation 19:11-16
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a clothing dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he has on his clothing and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Isaiah 49:15-16
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget you.
Behold,I have graven you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
As Steve Gibert states in his book, Tattoo History - A Source book:
"There is no point in passing a law against something that does not exist, and therefore the most convincing evidence that tattooing was practiced by the ancient Hebrews is the fact that it was prohibited in Leviticus.
So we have discussed Jews, but what about Christians?
(Christians seem to think that they are not Jews for some reason - i have not determined why yet.)
Franz Joeseph Dolger, biblical scholar, searched for records of religious tattooing.
In a written report, he states that Saint Basil the Great, a most distinguished doctor of the church, stated the following:
No man shall let his hair grow long or tattoo himself as do the heathens.
Saint Basil has obviously never read the old testament because he is clearly telling people to cut their hair when the bible says not to, but at least he has got the tattoo thing correct.
Franz Dolger also discovered that many early Christian sects tattooed a cross, a lamb, a fish, or Christ's name as a sign of identification & recognition.
We all know the Apostle, Paul...
In Galatians 6, Paul clearly states that he has a tattoo and is a tattoo artist
You see how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
From now on let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Procopius of Gaza wrote a commentary on Isaiah in 587 ad.
In this commentary, he reported that Christians were "tattooed on the arms with a cross or Christ's name"
It is well documented that medieval crusaders had crosses tattooed on their arms as souvenirs & the tradition was continued throughout the middle ages.
In the oldest known description of this tradition, William Lithgow wrote in 1612:
"Earley on the morrow there came a fellow to us, one Elias Areacheros, a Christian habitour at Bethleham, and perveier for the Friers, who did ingrave on our severall Armes upon Christ's sepulchur the name of Jesus, and the holy crosse, being our owne option, and desire."
There are numerous accounts of tattooing found in the travel journals of Christian pilgrims and the practice of souvenir tattooing has continued into the 20th century without interuption.
There is a book published in 1956 by John Carswell: "Coptic Tattoo Designs"
It contains reproductions of 184 designs that were copied from the original tattoo woodblocks that date to the mid 17th century, owned by professional tattooist Jacob Razzouk and still currently used in traditional religious souvenir tattooing.
And Finally, my rebuttal of the 787 edict with the original text - it speaks for itself:
"When an individual undergoes the ordeal of tattooing for the sake of God, he is to be greatly praised. But one who submits himself to be tattooed for superstitious reasons in the manner of the heathens will derive no benefit therefrom"
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