Hebrew Tattoos

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Once you have learned the Hebrew Alphabet, many people feel that they would like to get a Hebrew Tattoo. There are many reasons for this. A Hebrew Tattoo can be original, meaningful, imaginative, inspirational, personal and interesting. It sure beats getting an off-the-shelf boring tattoo such as a rose, barbed wire, flames or a butterfly! A Hebrew Tattoo can mark your interest in your beliefs and/or your identity. Maybe you love the Hebrew language, or you are a Jew, or a Zionist, or a believer in the Hebrew Bible. Or maybe you are just following a long list of celebrities who have had Hebrew Tattoos, such as Madonna, David and Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and many other famous people.

Getting a Hebrew Tattoo is not like getting a picture tattoo or a tattoo in English. There are lots of ways for a Hebrew tattoo to go badly wrong. The translation could be done wrongly or inappropriately. The Hebrew text could get accidentally reversed by the computer, by you, or by the tattoo artist. You need to have clear instructions to make sure the Hebrew Tattoo isn't put on back to front, upside down, or with the wrong orientation. A Hebrew Tattoo could go from top to bottom, or from right to left, but never from left to right. You need to make sure that the Hebrew is idiomatically correct, expressed the way a native Hebrew speaker would say it, and really does capture what you meant it to say if it was in English. You need to be aware of gender and grammar problems. For instance, “I love you!” is different in Hebrew depending on who is saying it (boy or girl) and to whom (boy or girl). The difference can be a single letter, or different nikud (Hebrew vowel points). If you don't know Hebrew, it could be hard to spot, and it could be very embarrassing when someone points out the mistake!

Hebrew Tattoos can be based on many things. You might have a single word that you like, such as Love, Peace, Wisdom, or one of the names of God. You might be into the Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism, and want a Hebrew Tattoo which reflects that. You might want your Hebrew Tattoo to be a favourite Hebrew phrase, or a verse from the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, or a Hebrew proverb, or a picture surrounded by Hebrew words. Whatever you want your Hebrew Tattoo to say, it is imperative that you get it translated professionally and do not use automatic translation services or software. Your Hebrew Tattoo will be with you for a LONG time, and you need to make sure it is 100% correct.

Hebrew Tattoos is a complex subject which you need to study carefully if you are to avoid an expensive and/or embarrassing mistake. Because there is so much material that cannot easily be covered in this web site, we have a dedicated Hebrew Tattoos Blog which will tell you everything you need to know about Hebrew Tattoos.

Visit our Hebrew Tattoos blog!


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