Tattoo

Tattooing is a process in which a needle impregnated with ink is repeatedly used to pierce the dermis, leaving the ink embedded in the skin to create a design. Once a Tattoo is applied to the dermis it can only be removed via expensive laser surgery. The most popular tattoos are of religious imagery and memorial tattoos.

Tattooing is thought to be forbidden by the Bible in the Old Testament:

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28 (KJV)

However this quote forbids the specific practice of cutting one's skin and rubbing charcoal or other black material into the wound for the purpose of mourning the dead; it was a religious act that was found amongst many tribal societies at the time. The modern idea of tattooing for decoration and self expression did not exist at the time.