Judaism is the religious culture of the Jewish people. It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. The tenets and history of Judaism are the major part of the foundation of other Abrahamic religions, including Christianity and Islam. For all of these reasons, Judaism has been a major force in shaping the world.
Tattoos and Judaism
- See, I have engraved You on the palms of my hands — Isaiah 49:16
- One shall say, 'I am the Lord’s,' and another shall use the name of Jacob, and another shall mark his arm 'of the Lord' and adopt the name of Israel. — Isaiah 44:5
- You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord — Leviticus 19:28
- ...is a sign on every man's hand that all men may know His doings — Job 37:7
"You can't be buried in a Jewish cemetery if you're tattooed." This phrase or any variation of it would be the boogeyman of sorts for young Jews who are or wish to be tattooed. Through some research and contact with the Beth Din of America (rabbinical court) this would prove to be false. While tattoos are still frowned upon, particular among older or more Orthodox Jews, there appears to be no truth to the fact that Jewish people with tattoos would be denied burial.
As quoted by Rabbi Alan Lucas in his article Tattooing in Jewish Law:
- But, however distasteful we may find the practice there is no basis for restricting burial to Jews who violate this prohibition or even limiting their participation in synagogue ritual. The fact that someone may have violated the laws of kashrut at some point in his or her life or violated the laws of Shabbat would not merit such sanctions; the prohibition against tattooing is certainly no worse. It is only because of the permanent nature of the tattoo that the transgression is still visible.