Where is Jesus’ tattoo?
Update: Links to the Religious Tattoos website have been corrected at the end of this post.
Did you know that Jesus has a tattoo? It’s in the Bible. Can you tell me where it is and what it says? The name “God” is strange. In English we use it like a name but it is actually a title. Conversely, “Lord” is a title used to translate a personal name. Lord (using small caps) in the Old Testament translates the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH which is the personal name of God. But we traditionally use “Lord” as a title. Ironically, “Lord” is an archaic term and isn’t used in contemporary speech at all. So we have an obsolete title being used to translate a personal name. Weird, isn’t it? It used to bother me that I didn’t know God’s name. Some people said it was Yahweh others said it was Jehovah and other people said it was a word that was so holy that it shouldn’t be pronounced lest we take the Lord’s name in vain and thus break the third commandment. After I thought about this I realized that God does have a name. His name is Jesus. God incarnate was revealed to the world and given a name that means, “The Lord saves.” So if you know Jesus, you know God on a first name basis! Several bloggers have been writing about how to represent the name of God in translation. They include and Tim Bulkeley. There is a long history of using the word “Lord” in English translations and I’m sure that will never change. But I wouldn’t mind seeing some sort of system for showing the difference between YHWH, Adonai and Elohim. Have you figured out what the tattoo is? Well, Jesus isn’t the only one in the Bible that has a tattoo. Thousands of others people are mentioned that have tattoos and the tattoo is in fact the name of the Lord. Do you know who these people are that I’m referring to?
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If you’d like to see some Christian tattoo art you might check out the Religious Tattoos website as well as their defense of tattoos for Christians.
The answers to the questions in this post are found in the follow-up post: Tattoos: divine and profane. Also, two Biblical reasons NOT to get a tattoo at: Skin Vandals.
Here’s the classic Rick Mansfield tattoo:
Now here is a dilemma. If I answer the trivia question, I can show off my biblical erudition (and win some sort of geegaw?) … but that spoils everybody else’s fun. If I don’t answer the trivia question, then later claim that I knew the answers, someone could say “Yeah right, prove it.” Conundrum! I can’t handle it!
Maybe you could tattoo the answer somewhere where no one else can see it. Yes, there is a geegaw for the winner if you can clue me in to what a geegaw is…
I posted the verse of Jesus’ tattoo in an email to you so I wouldn’t give it away.
I always use that as an excuse for having one myself which you can see here: http://homepage.mac.com/rmansfield/images/DVC00005.jpg
The picture was taken about two days after I got it, so don’t think that I normally shave my ankles.
Christian Tattoo Association blocked my use of their photo so I’ve borrowed Rick’s ankle. Nice shave!
I can’t believe you did that. Now I’m really going to be outted as a tattooed person.
The truth needs to be told. I’m doing this because I care.
I sent the answer in an email. I had never thought about calling it a tattoo, though.
Oh, great, this is going to drive me nuts all day. Anyone want to take pity on a poor woman trapped at work and tell me?
Sr. Mary Hasta,
Did you find the answer? It’s in the follow-up to this post.
Rick, I had thought you were a conservative, Southern Baptist, Britannica not Wikipedia type. Now I realise that you are in fact more my kind of guy! Not that I actually have a tattoo, but I have thought about it.
This post has been featured on something called Instablogs.
So where in the bible is it??????? is someone actually going to post the answer?
Amanda, there’s a link at the bottom of the post.
I love it!
ftm
ftm:Can a Christian get a Tattoo?
rev 19:16
this is fun, I’m not a Christian though, I’m born Muslim, and I’m still trying to figure out… either way I guess we all worship the same God, after all, if He does exist, Its just Him and no other… anyways… I just wanted to comment about the name of God part, just some input that maybe interesting, in Islam there are 99 names of God, they are all attributes and virtues like ‘all-mighty’ and ‘merciful’ etc.. however it is said that God has a name that only the very virtuous have access to, also the word Allah in arabic – which is supposed to be the personal name for God is a derivative of the arabic word Elah which literaly means ‘ Diety’ or ‘ God’… anyways…just thought i’d add some useless information… God bless and forgive us all
Mesteka, I think your very virtuous prophet Isa Masih, otherwise known as Jesus Christ, knew the 100th name of God, and revealed it to humankind in his teaching as recorded in the Injil or New Testament. That name is “love”. I suggest you follow the advice given in the Qur’an and read the Injil.
mesteka, your comments made me imagine a virtuous Muslim getting all 99 names tattooed on his skin. That would be quite a sight!
I”m christian and i live for the lord with all my heart and soul and i have two tattoos and. I donot thank it is a sin to have a tattoo if it is have to do with god . And you keep your live right with god .
Okay. I’m still trying to figure out where Jesus had a tattoo. I don’t have a link that shows the answer. I have tattoos and I don’t believe their is anything wrong with them.
trying t
the tattoo says King of Kings
Lord of Lords
it was on his thigh
hi all.
now i have nothing against tattoos at all, in fact i have a crucifix tattooed on my back with the words “iesous nazarena rex iudeaorum” INRI.
I believe that a tattoo can be symbolic of your beliefs and therefore being a christian with a chistian tattoo, i think, represents that. Under the new laws of the new testament the path to heaven is through love compassion and faith in GOD through Jesus Christ. But if the verse that is being referred to is rev 19:16, most bibles state that it is a the name king of kings lord of lords both on his vesture and his thigh but some say that it was the part of the cloak that covered his thigh. which is more likely. also revelations isnt a book to be taken absoloutely literally but more symbolically, it isnt an accurate document. although in no way takes away from morale, divinity and truth through out the rest of bible. i think translation is a big problem though.
sorry to rave on. GOD bless
This site says Jesus had a tatoo and the bible even says so. Can you tell me where in the bible it says this?
Christian tattoos have always had a certain soulfulness to them. There’s a very human and warm feeling to their designs.
Revelation 19:16 – And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.