I'm a writer, so here's something I wrote for a project I did...
Cultures that Practiced Sacred Prostitution
Prostitution, like so many things, was not
always bad. Though you don't hear the term
anymore, in ancient times sacred prostitution
was an important part of religious rites and
fertility rituals. The sacred prostitute was
the intermediary between the men of the
profane world and the sacred world of the
Goddess. Her job was considered an important
one. In the times of Hammurabi, for instance,
women from the highest realms of society
sought to be temple prostitutes.
1. Ancient Greece
Prostitution and religion
had close ties in ancient Greece. Greek
soldiers would return from battle and spend
several days at the temple of Aphrodite,
enjoying the women as their worship to
Aphrodite. Like so many ancient cultures, the
Greeks distinguished between temple
prostitutes and profane, "street"
prostitutes. Temple prostitutes were women
who gave themselves to the Goddess, an
honored role. Greek prostitutes were not only
female; males too (often slaves) were
prostitutes, as well. Temple prostitutes
lived and worked at the temples of Artemis at
Ephesus, Aphrodite at Corinth and Dionysis at
Sparta.
2. Ancient Babylon
According to the Greek
historian Herodotus (fifth century BC), the
Babylonians required that, once in her life
(before she was married), every woman go to
the temple of Mylitta and have sex with the
first stranger who paid her. This was her
duty to Ishtar. The stranger could toss any
amount to her, no matter how small, and she
had to have sex with him. Women had to sit in
the temple until they were chosen--for some,
this reportedly could take years, while for
more attractive women the stays were shorter.
This custom may have existed because of
beliefs that sex with a virgin was dangerous,
and that the danger could be lessened by her
having sex with a stranger before her
marriage. In Heliopolis (now Baalbek) in
Lebanon, women also had to perform this
ritual defloration. This custom survived
until the fourth century AD, when it was
abolished by the Christian emperor
Constantine. The Goddess Ishtar and the God
Marduk were attended by sacred prostitutes,
who offered themselves to worshippers during
fertility ceremonies.
3. India
Temple Prostitution was not
abolished in India until 1950, and it dates
back to ancient times, at least to the time
of the Indus civilization.
Goddess-worshipping temples in such great
ancient cities as Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
had sacred temple prostitution.
4. Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs
In the
time of the Pharaohs, temple prostitutes came
mainly from the ranks of slaves (and slaves
were usually part of the spoils of war--when
one nation was victorious over another, they
not only took the losers' property; they also
took slaves). In Egypt, temple prostitutes
were mostly in service of the Goddess Bast
(who was the Egyptian equivalent of
Aphrodite).
5. Ancient Hebrews
Sacred prostitutes among
the Hebrews existed (and was, at the minimum,
tolerated) at least from the 13th century BC
until the Babylonian Exile in 586 BC. King
Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, tolerated male
sacred prostitutes, and transvestite male
prostitutes apparently existed in Canaanite
temples. One of the ancient Hebrew biblical
words for prostitute, "k'dashah," is related
to the Hebrew word for "holiness."
6. West Africa. A number of West Africa
peoples, such as the Ewe and Igbo, have
practiced sacred prostitution. The Ewe, in
Dahomey, West Africa, had sacred prostitution
in association with the python god Dang-gbi.
Any woman could join up as a sacred
prostitute for Dang-gbi, but she had to
undergo a three-year initiation, after which
she was a wife of the god, and apparently had
high standing in the community.
"Prostitution gives her an opportunity to
meet people. It provides fresh air and
wholesome exercise, and it keeps her out of
trouble." - Joseph Heller
Cultures that Practiced Sacred Prostitution
Prostitution, like so many things, was not
always bad. Though you don't hear the term
anymore, in ancient times sacred prostitution
was an important part of religious rites and
fertility rituals. The sacred prostitute was
the intermediary between the men of the
profane world and the sacred world of the
Goddess. Her job was considered an important
one. In the times of Hammurabi, for instance,
women from the highest realms of society
sought to be temple prostitutes.
1. Ancient Greece
Prostitution and religion
had close ties in ancient Greece. Greek
soldiers would return from battle and spend
several days at the temple of Aphrodite,
enjoying the women as their worship to
Aphrodite. Like so many ancient cultures, the
Greeks distinguished between temple
prostitutes and profane, "street"
prostitutes. Temple prostitutes were women
who gave themselves to the Goddess, an
honored role. Greek prostitutes were not only
female; males too (often slaves) were
prostitutes, as well. Temple prostitutes
lived and worked at the temples of Artemis at
Ephesus, Aphrodite at Corinth and Dionysis at
Sparta.
2. Ancient Babylon
According to the Greek
historian Herodotus (fifth century BC), the
Babylonians required that, once in her life
(before she was married), every woman go to
the temple of Mylitta and have sex with the
first stranger who paid her. This was her
duty to Ishtar. The stranger could toss any
amount to her, no matter how small, and she
had to have sex with him. Women had to sit in
the temple until they were chosen--for some,
this reportedly could take years, while for
more attractive women the stays were shorter.
This custom may have existed because of
beliefs that sex with a virgin was dangerous,
and that the danger could be lessened by her
having sex with a stranger before her
marriage. In Heliopolis (now Baalbek) in
Lebanon, women also had to perform this
ritual defloration. This custom survived
until the fourth century AD, when it was
abolished by the Christian emperor
Constantine. The Goddess Ishtar and the God
Marduk were attended by sacred prostitutes,
who offered themselves to worshippers during
fertility ceremonies.
3. India
Temple Prostitution was not
abolished in India until 1950, and it dates
back to ancient times, at least to the time
of the Indus civilization.
Goddess-worshipping temples in such great
ancient cities as Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
had sacred temple prostitution.
4. Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs
In the
time of the Pharaohs, temple prostitutes came
mainly from the ranks of slaves (and slaves
were usually part of the spoils of war--when
one nation was victorious over another, they
not only took the losers' property; they also
took slaves). In Egypt, temple prostitutes
were mostly in service of the Goddess Bast
(who was the Egyptian equivalent of
Aphrodite).
5. Ancient Hebrews
Sacred prostitutes among
the Hebrews existed (and was, at the minimum,
tolerated) at least from the 13th century BC
until the Babylonian Exile in 586 BC. King
Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, tolerated male
sacred prostitutes, and transvestite male
prostitutes apparently existed in Canaanite
temples. One of the ancient Hebrew biblical
words for prostitute, "k'dashah," is related
to the Hebrew word for "holiness."
6. West Africa. A number of West Africa
peoples, such as the Ewe and Igbo, have
practiced sacred prostitution. The Ewe, in
Dahomey, West Africa, had sacred prostitution
in association with the python god Dang-gbi.
Any woman could join up as a sacred
prostitute for Dang-gbi, but she had to
undergo a three-year initiation, after which
she was a wife of the god, and apparently had
high standing in the community.
"Prostitution gives her an opportunity to
meet people. It provides fresh air and
wholesome exercise, and it keeps her out of
trouble." - Joseph Heller