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The Fascinating History Of Tattoos

All you need to know about the most orthodox unorthodox practice.

Jules
5 min readDec 11, 2022
Source: Reuters Pictures

Tattooing has been practiced for thousands of years, and there are also ancient mummies with tattoos. With 61 tattoos, Tzi, the European Tyrolean Iceman who died around 3250 BC, holds the current record for earliest tattoos.

There was once a debate that a South American mummy with a pencil mustache tattoo was older, but specialists shifted their opinion. The first known symbolic tattoos were found on multiple 5,000-year-old Egyptian mummies, just a few years younger than Tzi. Tattoos were known to exist among the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Chinese.

We also know that ink was used by both men and women. Tattoos were also discovered on a Siberian princess who died thousands of years ago.

Tattoos As An Unorthodox Practice

It’s widely known that Jewish people aren’t allowed to get body art, but the explanation isn’t so simple. Inking was probably not a big deal, and Jews may have done it prior to the prohibition.

Also, by attempting to make them illegal, the Israelites distinguished themselves from other folks. These included the Babylonians and Egyptians, who tattooed themselves.

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Jules
Jules

Written by Jules

Psychology Expert | MSc Social and Cultural Psychology

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