Prostitution Throughout History: Sumerian Temple Priestesses, Ottoman Brothel Workers, and Call-Girls for the Medieval Clergy

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 April 2018

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Prostitution, often known as the world's oldest profession, can be traced throughout recorded history. This cliché is so often repeated it remains completely unexamined. Is prostitution really a natural by-product of human society or does it only appear in circumstances where human sexuality is limited or curtailed?

In this episode we dive deep into the history of prostitution, from ancient Sumeria and its temple prostitutes to Old Testament Israeli sex workers, to Ottoman Istanbul, and finally to the red-light districts of Amsterdam. In particular we will look at

Herodotus' account of the Mesopotamian ritual of sacred prostitution in which Babylonian woman had to attend the temple of Ishtar and agree to sex with any male that askedOld Testament prostitutes from Rahab—heroine of Jericho—to Gomer, a harlot whom the prophet Hosea married as an analogy of Israel's unfaithfulness to YahwehCivic brothels that existed in every medieval European cityOttoman prostitutes who used Islamic law about widows and temporary marriage to cheat the tax codeThe 19th century question over whether prostitution should be legalized and regulated to reduce syphilis or made illegal to reduce public immorality

Transcript

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0:00.0	War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding right down to the present.
0:06.2	Wars made the United States independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower.
0:13.2	Hi, I'm James Early, host of the Key Battles of American History podcast.
0:17.6	In each episode, I discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's Wars.
0:23.2	To start listening now, go to pathanonpodcast.com or search Key Battles of American History on your favorite podcast and platform.
0:36.1	The history of North America podcast is a sweeping historical saga of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, from their deep origins to our present epoch.
0:46.0	Join me, Mark Vinet, on this exciting, fascinating epic journey through time, focusing on the compelling, wonderful, and tragic stories of North America's inhabitants, heroes, villains, leaders, environment, and geography.
1:01.4	I invite you to come along for the ride.
1:06.4	Welcome to the History Unplugged Podcast.
1:09.5	The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes, myth busts historical lies, and rediscoveres the forgotten stories that changed our world.
1:19.6	I'm your host, Scott Rank.
1:28.5	Herodidus did a lot of firsts.
1:31.2	His book The History is considered the founding work of history in Western literature, and he's also one of the first travel writers that we know of.
1:39.8	The Greek writer gave us eyewitness accounts of Egypt, where he went to sometime after 454 BC, and he went there in association with Athens after an Athenian fleet had assisted in the uprising against Persian rule.
1:54.0	After that, he probably traveled to Tyrae, and then down the Euphrates River to Babylon.
1:59.2	When he went to Babylon, we don't know if he had a translator with him, or he learned enough Arabic to communicate with priests there.
2:05.7	While in this glorious city, he describes in wide-eyed wonder the massive city walls, and architectural wonders left behind by King Nebuchadnezzar.
2:14.4	He describes in great detail 100 bronze city gates dedicated to different gods, and the enormous zigrats.
2:21.5	But there was one thing he noticed that he was not impressed by, and he was actually disgusted by.
2:26.8	Here's what he says.
2:28.8	The Foulest Babylonian custom is that which compels every woman of the land,
2:33.8	that sit in the temple of Aphrodite, and have intercourse with some stranger once in her life.
	...

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