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Łódzkie Studia Teologiczne

Vol. 31 No. 1 (2022)

Artykuły

Biblical Ban on Tattoos (Lev 19:26-28) Background, Context, Meaning and Perspectives

  • Bartłomiej Mateusz Sokal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52097/lst.2022.1.71-96  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2022-04-07

Abstract

The main subject of the paper is a critical evaluation of meaning behind ban on tattoos in Lev 19:26-28 and analysis of historic and cultural contexts of the practice in antiquity. An exempt of Leviticus is deeply entrenched in its context of commandments which forbid imitating religious customs of surrounding cultures and their magical practices, so the research into all of contexts allows reaching main motivation behind the ban and main meaning behind the practice in Israel and in antiquity in general. First step is analysis of motivation for getting tattoos in Israel’s neighboring countries to determine main reasons which led ancient people to tattooing and being tattooed. Then, we undergo a thorough philological and exegetical analysis of bans in vv. 26–28, which allows us to understand perspectives which followed authors of ancient biblical translations. Next, after an overview of rabbinic literature we form main conclusions concerning tattoos practice in Leviticus.

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