 In Genesis 24 : 22 , Abraham 's servant gave Rebecca a nose ring . Nose piercing has been practiced by the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East and the Berber and Beja peoples of Africa , as well as Australian Aborigines . Many Native American and Alaskan tribes practiced septum piercing . It was popular among the Aztecs , the Mayans and the tribes of New Guinea , who adorned their pierced noses with bones and feathers to symbolize wealth and ( among men ) virility . The name of the Nez Perce tribe was derived from the practice , though nose piercing was not common within the tribe . The Aztecs , Mayans and Incas wore gold septum rings for adornment , with the practice continued to this day by the Kuna of Panama . Nose piercing also remains popular in Pakistan and Bangladesh and is practiced in a number of Middle Eastern and Arab countries . 
