Stigmata

STIGMATA. Certain Marks and Incisions that the Heathen made upon their Flesh, in honour of some false Deity. These Marks were imprinted, either by a hot Iron, or with a Needle, with which they made several Punctures, which they afterwards fill’d with a fine Powder, either black, blue, or some other Colour, which incorporated with the Flesh, and remain’d printed in it for all their Lives after. The greatest Part of the Arabian Women have their Arms and Cheeks marked with these Stigmata. Lucian, in his Book of the Syrian Goddess, says, that all the Assyrians wore these printed Characters, some on their Hands, others on their Necks. Moses¹ warns the Israelites from making any Figure, or any Mark upon their Bodies: Ye shall not make any Cuttings in your Flesh for the Dead, nor print any Marks upon you.

Ptolemy Philopater gave Orders,b that the Jews who had forsaken their Religion, and had embraced that of the Pagans, should be stigmatized with the Mark of an Ivy-leaf, which Tree is dedicated to Bacchus. St. Rev. xiii. 16, 17.John in his Revelation alludes to this Custom, when he says, That the Beast printed her Character upon her own, on their Right-hand, and on their Fore-head; and that she allows none to buy or to sell, but those that bore the Mark of the Beast, or her Name, or the Number of the Letters of her Name. Lastly, St. Paul declares, that he Gal. vi. 17.bore in his Body the Marks of the Lord Jesus; that is to say, that he bore the Scars of the Stripes that he had received for his Sake, and for his Service, and that he look’d upon them as so many Stigmata, or honourable Marks of his Consecration to his Service.

Philo, de Monarch. l. 14.Philo the Jew says, that there were Men, who printed Characters upon their Flesh with hot Irons, to devote themselves more solemnly and avowedly to the worship of their Idols, and to prove with greater Evidence this Engagement and Servitude. Procopius takes notice of an antient Custom Procop. in Isa. xliv.among Christians, who made Marks upon their Arms and Wrists, representing the Cross, or the Monogramm of Jesus Christ: A Custom which still continues among the Oriental Christians, and those that make a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Prudentius thus describes the manner in which the Pagans made their Stigmata, in honour to their Gods:

Prudent. Hymn. x.Quid cum sacrandus accipit sphragitidas? Acus minutas ingerunt fornacibus, His Membra pergunt urere; utque igniverint Quamcumque partem corporis fervens nota Stigmavit, hanc sic consecratam prædicant.

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