Who Bares The Mark?

This almost seems like some sort of cultish ritual where the women brand the kids in order to orient them into the tribe.



Or....

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.