Through extended puberty initiation ceremonies involving self-torture and painful cutting, tribal marks were engraved on youths to harden them for the reality of life, a purpose better accomplished by athletic games and contests. [1] Joseph rebuked Jesus for admiring sports at Scythopolis, but Jesus later learned the Jewish view and never mentioned them again. [2]
Vanity, pride, ambition, and honor intertwine to form human associations, relying on a social arena for exhibition and gratification, thus giving rise to art, ceremonial traditions, and sports. [3]