Passover Tattoos?
While Caroline, Casey and Melanie are in CT for the New England Tattoo Expo, the rest of the world is getting ready for Passover. Well, part of the world anyway, which begs the question…How does that relate to tattooing?
Flash Day is April 23rd, check out the new flash sheets here… https://www.myradiantenergy.net/flash-sheets
Plus tax day is coming up… Have you taken Caroline’s Tax Seminar?
“You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord” – Leviticus 19:28
This is a passage that has been debated for years. Does it mean not to tattoo false idols or ancestors on your body for the purposes of worship? Or does it mean no tattoos at all, ever?
In ancient times, this passage became Jewish law to prevent the Israelites from following the religious practices of non-Jews and those of the nearby Baal tribe who were practicing ceremonial tattooing. For the last 1,000 years, it has meant “no tattoos at all, ever,” but there were 2,000 years where tattoos were not banned and between those 2 schools of thought, there was a time where it was seriously debated. So seriously in fact, that the debate continues today, butt consider this… Some archeologists suggest that there is evidence of Jews tattooing themselves without the intent of idol worship, but possibly fostering their Jewish identity.
The Torah was written in a timeless language for a reason, so that each generation could interpret it for themselves and build on the interpretations of the previous generation to further understand what God wants of them. So, in an attempt to become the most pious of Jews, past generations banned tattoos, but may have stunted the newer generation and prevented them from increasing piety and expressing their Jewish identities through body art. Can this further their own path of worship in a way that could be acceptable within the laws of the Torah? Just because a person tattoos an image on their body, it doesn’t mean they are idolizing it as more than what it is, a symbol, a reminder. Speaking of reminders, has the holocaust dampened the minds of recent generations to the point of continuing the ban? Is Gen Z too far removed to be bothered by that symbolism? It seems the debate is nowhere near over, but still going strong.
So, will we be seeing Jewish symbols and other Jewish tattoos becoming popular? What do you think?
https://tcjewfolk.com/2011/08/10/living-leviticus-tattoos/
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
