The Myth of Sacred Prostitution in Antiquity

"In this study, Stephanie Lynn Budin demonstrates that sacred prostitution, the sale of a person's body for sex in which some or all of the money earned was devoted to a deity or a temple, did not exist in the ancient world. Reconsidering the evidence from the ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman texts, and the early Christian authors, Budin shows that the majority of sources that have traditionally been understood as pertaining to sacred prostitution actually have nothing to do with this institution. The few texts that are usually invoked on this subject are, moreover, terribly misunderstood. Furthermore, contrary to many current hypotheses, the creation of the myth of sacred prostitution has nothing to do with notions of accusation or the construction of a decadent, Oriental "Other." Instead, the myth has come into being as a result of more than 2,000 years of misinterpretations, false assumptions, and faulty methodology. The study of sacred prostitution is, effectively, a historiographical reckoning." --Book Jacket

In this study, Stephanie Lynn Budin demonstrates that sacred prostitution, the sale of a person's body for sex in which some or all of the money earned was devoted to a deity or a temple, did not exist in the ancient world. Reconsidering the evidence form the ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman texts, and the early Christian author, Budin shows that the majority of sources that have traditionally been understood as pertaining to sacred prostitution actually have nothing to do with this institution. The few texts that are usually invoked on the subject are, moreover, terribly misunderstood. Furthermore, contrary to many current hypotheses, the creation of the myth of sacred prostitution has nothing to do with notions of accusation or the construction of a decadent, Oriental "Other." Instead, the myth has come into being as a result of more than 2,000 years of misinterpretations, false assumptions and faulty methodology. The study of sacred prostitution is, effectively, a historiographical reckoning.

Introduction -- The Ancient Near Eastern Data -- The So-called Evidence -- Herodotos -- In The Footsteps Of Herodotos : Lucian And Jeremiah -- Pindar Fragment 122 -- Strabo, Confused And Misunderstood -- Klearkhos, Justinus, And Valerius Maximus -- Archaeological Evidence From Italy -- The Early Christian Rhetoric -- Last Myths. Stephanie Lynn Budin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 337-355) And Indexes. Introduction -- The ancient Near Eastern data -- The so-called "evidence"--Herodotos -- Mylitta and Mulissu -- In the footsteps of Herodotos : Lucian and "Jeremiah"--Pindar fragment 122 -- Strabo, confused and misunderstood -- Klearkhos, Justinus, and Valerius Maximus -- Archaeological "evidence" from Italy -- The early Christian rhetoric -- Last myths