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104-526: The Yiddish word has a trilingual etymology: Hebrew, רבי rabbí ("my master"); the Slavic feminine suffix, -ица ( -itsa ); and the Yiddish feminine suffix, ין- -in. A male or female rabbi may have a male spouse but, as women and openly gay men were prohibited from the rabbinate for most of Jewish history, there has historically been no specific term for the male spouse of a rabbi. In liberal denominations of Judaism,

208-614: A "Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community" was released. It was written primarily by Nathaniel Helfgot , Aryeh Klapper , and Yitzchak Blau . Signatories include more than a hundred rabbis and laypeople. Some of the statement's more notable supporters are Rabbi Marc Angel , co-founder of The Rabbinic Fellowship ; Rabbi Shlomo Riskin , founder of Lincoln Square Synagogue , Efrat , and Ohr Torah Stone Institutions ; and Rabbi Avi Weiss , head of

312-474: A Babylonian custom where before marriage, girls had to offer themselves for sex, presumably within a temple, as required by rites of a goddess equivalent to Aphrodite in their culture. Herodotus records that a similar practice or custom took place within Cyprus, with girls offering themselves up for sex as required by the rites of Aphrodite. Ennius and Ovid corroborate each other on the idea that Aphrodite established

416-446: A Hindu deity or a Hindu temple, who then work in the temple and function as spiritual guides, dancers, and prostitutes servicing male devotees in the temple. The Devadasis were originally seen as intercessors who allowed upper-caste men to have contact with the gods. Though they did develop sexual relations with other men, they were not looked upon with lust. Before Muslim rule in the 14th century, they could live an existence apart from

520-463: A communal leader. In 2019, Rabbi Daniel Landes wrote, "Leviticus 18:22   [...] has not been erased from the Torah. But that biblical commandment does not give us license to ignore or abuse the significant number of carefully observant Jews who are LGBTQ." Film documentaries made about Orthodox homosexuals in recent years include Trembling Before G-d , Keep Not Silent , and Say Amen . As

624-619: A disease or as morally neutral... Jewish law holds that no hedonistic ethic, even if called "love", can justify the morality of homosexuality any more than it can legitimize adultery or incest , however genuinely such acts may be performed out of love and by mutual consent." Rabbi Norman Lamm argued that some (although not all) homosexuals should be viewed as diseased and in need of compassion and treatment, rather than willful rebels who should be ostracized. He distinguishes between six varieties of homosexuals, including "genuine homosexuals" who have "strong preferential erotic feelings for members of

728-559: A famous Greek poet, was commissioned to write a poem that was to be performed at Xenophon’s victory celebration in Corinth. The poet acknowledged that the slaves would serve Aphrodite as sacred prostitutes within her temple at Corinth. Another temple of Aphrodite was named Aphrodite Melainis, located near the city gates in an area known as “Craneion”. It is the resting place of Lais, who was a famous prostitute in Greek history. This suggests that there

832-433: A great retinue of attendants. But most sit down in the sacred plot of Aphrodite, with crowns of cord on their heads; there is a great multitude of women coming and going; passages marked by line run every way through the crowd, by which the men pass and make their choice. Once a woman has taken her place there, she does not go away to her home before some stranger has cast money into her lap, and had intercourse with her outside

936-525: A kosher home   [...] you are His beloved children." Five years later he wrote that he believed in the equality of all of God's children, and has seen too much homophobia in his life. He believes that the biggest threat to marriage does not come from gay marriage, but heterosexual divorce, which he says afflicts half of marriages. He opposes government involvement at all in recognizing marriage , but supports state-sanctioned " civil unions " for all. Open Orthodox Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz declared that

1040-551: A leading rabbi at Yeshiva University , stated, "It is very sad that an individual who attended our yeshiva sunk to the depths of what we consider a depraved society." As Greenberg has a rabbinic ordination from the Orthodox rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University ( RIETS ), he is generally described as the first openly gay Orthodox Jewish rabbi. However, some Orthodox Jews, including many rabbis, dispute his being an Orthodox rabbi. Orthodox Israeli rabbi Ron Yosef became in 2009

1144-477: A majority opinion by 13 of 25 votes, was authored by Rabbis Elliot N. Dorff , Daniel Nevins, and Avram Reisner. It lifted most restrictions on homosexual conduct and opened the way to the ordination of openly gay/lesbian/bisexual rabbis and cantors and acceptance of homosexual unions, but stopped short of religiously recognizing same-sex marriage. The responsum invoked the Talmudic principle of kavod habriyot , which

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1248-519: A majority opinion by 13 votes, reaffirmed a general complete prohibition on homosexual conduct. A second responsum by Rabbi Leonard Levy , adopted as a minority opinion by 6 votes, delineated ways in which to ensure that gays and lesbians would be accorded human dignity and a respected place in Conservative communities and institutions while maintaining the authority of the traditional prohibitions against same-sex sexual activity. The Committee rejected

1352-620: A marriage or during certain rituals. Ancient Near Eastern societies along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers featured many shrines and temples or houses of heaven dedicated to various deities . The 5th-century BC historian Herodotus 's account and some other testimony from the Hellenistic Period and Late Antiquity suggest that ancient societies encouraged the practice of sacred sexual rites not only in Babylonia and Cyprus , but throughout

1456-408: A matter of both Jewish law and institutional policy, Conservative ("Masorti") Judaism has wrestled with homosexuality issues since the 1980s. Conservative Jewish writer Herschell Matt initially argued that homosexuals may be excused because Judaism does recognise 'constraint' as a valid excuse to disobey the law. However, Matt later shifted to outright support for homosexuality, viewing it as part of

1560-400: A modern halakhic authority rules that two men cannot be alone together if both of them are homosexual. Opinions also exist that the prohibition only applies to two men who are in a relationship with each other, or that there is no technical prohibition at all if they are confident they can avoid forbidden touch (but they should still avoid sharing a bedroom). Like many similar commandments,

1664-616: A person up for an aliyah who is known not to keep kosher, the same is not always true of a man known to engage in same-sex sexual activity. In both the United States and in Israel several groups have sprung up in the last few years that seek to support those who identify as both Orthodox and homosexual; support Orthodox parents of LGBTQ children; and promote understanding of homosexuality within Orthodox communities and among Orthodox rabbis. These include an umbrella organization called Eshel ,

1768-444: A rabbi married to another rabbi would be both a rabbi and a rebbetzin. In a 2020 piece, Rob Eshman, the national editor of The Forward and the husband of a female rabbi, wrote: "Nobody knew what to call me" because "there wasn't a word for what I was." Some contemporary male spouses of rabbis have chosen to call themselves "rebbetzers." In many Orthodox communities, rebbetzins have the role of spiritual counselors. In circles such as

1872-576: A sanctuary built with multiple cells or rooms, which has been identified as a possible place of sacred prostitution in honor to Astarte. A similar institution might have been found in Gadir. Its posterior, renowned erotic dancers called puellae gaditanae in Roman sources (or cinaedi in the case of male dancers) might have been desecrated heirs of this practice, considering the role occupied by sex and dance on Phoenician culture. Another center of cult to Astarte

1976-497: A starting point for several generations of scholars. Frazer and Henriques distinguished two major forms of sacred sexual rites: temporary rite of unwed girls (with variants such as dowry-sexual rite, or as public defloration of a bride), and lifelong sexual rite. However, Frazer took his sources mostly from authors of Late Antiquity (i.e. 150–500 AD), not from the Classical or Hellenistic periods . This raises questions as to whether

2080-516: A subject of contention within modern Jewish denominations , and has led to debate and division. Traditionally, Judaism has seen homosexual male intercourse as contrary to Judaism, not homosexuality in-and-of-itself. This opinion is often still maintained by Orthodox Judaism . Conservative Judaism 's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards , which until December 2006 held the same position as Orthodoxy, has since issued multiple opinions under its philosophy of pluralism ; one opinion continues to follow

2184-758: Is set apart ). The Hebrew word keleb (dog) may also signify a male dancer or prostitute. The Mosaic Law as outlined in the Book of Deuteronomy was not universally observed in Israelite culture under the Davidic line in the Kingdom of Israel , as recorded in the Books of Kings . According to 2 Kings 22, the Kingdom of Judah had lost "the Book of the Law". During the reign of King Josiah , Hilkiah ,

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2288-415: Is a biblical prohibition on male same-sex relationships and a commandment for men and women to marry and have children. Still, he understands those in context. "There are 613 commandments in the Torah... So when Jewish gay couples tell me they have never been attracted to members of the opposite sex and are desperate alone, I tell them "You have 611 commandments left. That should keep you busy. Now, go create

2392-464: Is a strict instruction not to follow the so-called "acts of Egypt" among which there was also homosexuality included in them. Canaanites were also claimed to be engaging in homosexual acts as well. The archetypal model in Judaism is marital heterosexuality with fornication, celibacy, adultery, homosexuality, incest and bestiality seen to be part of a continuous prism of wrong. In a speech given in 1986,

2496-439: Is considered "approaching" a forbidden relationship. As gay male sex is included in the category of arayot along with other sexual prohibitions, the prohibition of negiah would seem to also apply between two gay men . Nevertheless, some sources raise the possibility that the law may be more lenient for two men than for a man and a woman. The consensus seems to be that touch between gay men which involves sexual desire

2600-566: Is detestable. .וְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אֶת-זָכָר מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה — תּוֹעֵבָה עָשׂוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם. מוֹת יוּמָתוּ; דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם ‎ And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed a detestable act: They shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Several commentators believe that the verses specifically condemn the practice of sodomy (i.e. anal intercourse between two males). Rabbinic thought supports this view, condemning homosexuality as an example of "unnatural intercourse" compared to

2704-454: Is no bribe however great that will get her. So then the women that are fair and tall are soon free to depart, but the uncomely have long to wait because they cannot fulfil the law; for some of them remain for three years, or four. There is a custom like this in some parts of Cyprus. The British anthropologist James Frazer accumulated citations to prove this in a chapter of his magnum opus The Golden Bough (1890–1915), and this has served as

2808-459: Is out of town" at Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland, California, where he started coming out as gay to members of the congregation over a year prior to October 2023. He was ordained by Yeshiva University . JONAH was a Jewish ex-gay organization that focuses on "prevention, intervention, and healing of the underlying issues causing same-sex attractions". In 2012, four former clients of JONAH sued

2912-473: Is rabbinically forbidden, while touch which does not involve sexual desire is permitted. Another issue is the prohibition of yichud (seclusion of two individuals together in a manner that would allow them to have sex). The Talmud records a debate over whether yichud applies to any two men. Maimonides , Tur , and Shulchan Aruch rule leniently that yichud of two men is permitted, because "Jews are not suspected of homosexual sex". Nevertheless,

3016-497: Is reported to have said that the intensity of Orthodox community's condemnation of homosexuality goes beyond what its status as a religious transgression warrants, and that he feels toward homosexual people "criticism, disapproval, but tempered with an element of sympathy". Rabbi Steven Greenberg, for example, argues that there are many sins considered to be abominations in the Torah, homosexual men are disproportionately censured. While some Modern Orthodox congregations may still invite

3120-473: Is theoretically permissible because kiddushin sanctifies the relationship between the spouses rather than the "sexual intimacies" they commit. The permissibility of same-sex marriage is also compared to the permissibility of marriage between a divorcee and a male descendant of a kohen (priest). The latter is accepted by adherents of Conservative Judaism because they believe the ethical components of Judaism, exemplified by justice and compassion, trump

3224-528: Is uppercase. In addition, a determinative sign is written as a superscript. Determinatives are only written and never spoken. In spoken Sumerian homophones are distinguished by a numerical subscript. The Hittites practiced sacred prostitution as part of a cult of deities, including the worship of a mated pair of deities, a bull god and a lion goddess, while in later days it was the mother-goddess who became prominent, representing fertility, and (in Phoenicia)

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3328-460: The Hasidic dynasty of Belz , the girls schools are run by the rebbetzin. The rabbi's wife plays an important community role, especially in small communities. In many ways, she is called on to be as knowledgeable as the rabbi in the realm of woman's observances: In this manner, for something that does not require a psak (ruling), she can be approached when a woman does not feel comfortable approaching

3432-624: The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale , founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Yeshivat Maharat , and co-founder of The Rabbinic Fellowship . An edict signed by dozens of Israeli Orthodox rabbis and published in 2016 by the Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbinic group Beit Hillel, a group which promotes inclusiveness in Orthodox Judaism, stated, in part, "According to the Torah and halacha, the [same-sex sexual] acts are forbidden, but not

3536-950: The High Priest of Israel , discovered it in " the House of the Lord " and realized that the people have disobeyed, particularly regarding prostitution. The Greek term hierodoulos or hierodule has sometimes been taken to mean sacred holy woman , but it is more likely to refer to a former slave freed from slavery in order to be dedicated to a god. There were different levels of prostitutes within Ancient Greek society, but two categories are specifically related to sacred or temple prostitution. The first category are hetaires , also known as courtesans, typically more educated women that served within temples. The second category are known as hierodoules , slave women or female priests who worked within temples and served

3640-644: The Hod organization appealed to the Orthodox community to recognize them as part of the religious society. Up to 2013, 163 Orthodox rabbis from Israel and abroad signed this statement, including Yuval Cherlow , Binyamin Lau , Haim Navon, Daniel Sperber , Eliezer Melamed , Shai Piron , and Yehuda Gilad . In 2010, TorahWeb.org published a brief position statement entitled "Torah View on Homosexuality", co-authored by Rav Hershel Schachter , Rav Mordechai Willig , Rav Michael Rosensweig , and Rav Mayer Twersky . On July 22, 2010,

3744-487: The Lubavitcher Rebbe , Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson , discussed "individuals who express an inclination towards a particular form of physical relationship in which the libidinal gratification is sought with members of one's own gender". He wrote that "society and government must be to offer a helping hand to those who are afflicted with this problem". In a 2008 open letter distributed to Orthodox community leaders,

3848-542: The Near East . The work of gender researchers like Daniel Arnaud, Julia Assante and Stephanie Budin has cast the whole tradition of scholarship that defined the concept of sacred prostitution into doubt. Budin regards the concept of sacred prostitution as a myth, arguing taxatively that the practices described in the sources were misunderstandings of either non-remunerated ritual sex or non-sexual religious ceremonies, or possibly even invented as rhetorical devices. Through

3952-453: The Phoenician cities of Aphaca and Heliopolis ( Baalbek ) continued to practise temple prostitution until the emperor Constantine put an end to the rite in the 4th century AD. People in some Indian states practice hierodulic prostitution, with similar customary forms such as basavi, and involves dedicating pre-pubescent and young adolescent girls from villages in a ritual marriage to

4056-534: The assassination of Harvey Milk , saying "A decent gentile got up and shot him because of his spreading homosexuality". The late UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote the foreword to Rabbi Chaim Rapoport 's book Judaism and Homosexuality: An Authentic Orthodox View . In the foreword, Rabbi Sacks has written: "Compassion, sympathy, empathy, understanding – these are essential elements of Judaism. They are what homosexual Jews who care about Judaism need from us today." Modern Orthodox leader Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein

4160-439: The "East Building", such as vases and other vessels that seemed to be connected to religious rituals. The vessels were covered in motifs related to sacrilegious rituals, such as the sacral knot and the image of birds flying freely. The functions of the vessels would have been offering food or liquid in relation to the rituals. Combining these two factors, it is a possibility that sacred prostitution existed within this building. In

4264-544: The "bnei Noach" i.e. the "descendants of Noah" (the entire world) have accepted thirty mitzvot (commandments) but only choose to practice three of them: one, they do not draw up marriage contracts for homosexuals – two, they do not merchandise (human) flesh in the marketplace – three, they do have respect for the Torah. Although in passages from the Torah it is quite clear that non-Jews do indeed practice homosexuality and that it’s allowed for them – since in Leviticus 18:3 there

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4368-536: The "natural intercourse" between non-related men and women. Intercourse in both scenarios only occur if penetration exists. Deuteronomy 23:17 tells followers: "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a kedeshah , nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a Kadesh ." This has been interpreted as prohibiting the "sons of Israel" from serving as a homosexual temple prostitute in a pagan cult . The laws of negiah prohibit affectionate touch between an unmarried man and woman (except close relatives), because this touch

4472-510: The Conservative movement. In 2006, the CJLS shifted its position and paved the way for significant changes regarding the Conservative movement's policies toward homosexuality. On December 6, 2006, The CJLS adopted three distinct responsa reflecting very different approaches to the subject. One responsum substantially liberalized Conservative Judaism's approach including lifting most (but not all) classical prohibitions on homosexual conduct and permitted

4576-567: The Etruscan site of Pyrgi , a center of worship of the eastern goddess Astarte , archaeologists identified a temple consecrated to her and built with at least 17 small rooms that may have served as quarters for temple prostitutes. Similarly, a temple dedicated to her equated goddess Atargatis in Dura-Europos , was found with nearly a dozen small rooms with low benches, which might have used either for sacred meals or sacred services of women jailed in

4680-693: The Gay and Lesbian Yeshiva Day School Alumni Association, the women's group OrthoDykes, the youth group JQYouth , the American-Israeli group headquartered in Jerusalem Bat Kol and the Israeli group Hod ("Majesty"). In 2012, Hod held an advertising campaign against conversion therapies and for self-acceptance of the religious homosexual community in Israel. Online blogs and support groups have enabled many to find other Orthodox LGBTQ people with whom to share

4784-754: The Greek-influenced and colonised world, "sacred prostitution" was known in Cyprus (Greek-settled since 1100 BC), Sicily (Hellenised since 750 BC), in the Kingdom of Pontus (8th century BC) and in Cappadocia (c. 330 BC hellenised). 2 Maccabees ( 2 Maccabees 6:4–5 ) describes sacred prostitution in the Second Temple under the reign of the Hellenistic ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes . A passage in Herodotus explains

4888-505: The Jewish values of justice, equality, and dignity lead him to support the cause of gay rights and advocate for same-sex civil marriage. In November 2016, dozens of LGBT activists protested in Jerusalem against comments reportedly made by the city's chief rabbi Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who reportedly told an Israeli newspaper that gay people were an "abomination", and homosexuality a "cult". In 2017,

4992-599: The Orthodox position while another opinion substantially liberalizes the view of homosexual sex and relationships (while continuing to regard certain sexual acts as prohibited). Theologically liberal branches such as Reconstructionist , Humanistic , and Reform Judaism have all openly accepted homosexuality, homosexual intercourse, and same-sex marriage . The Book of Leviticus refers to male homosexual sexual practices twice ( JPS translation): .וְאֶת-זָכָר, לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה — תּוֹעֵבָה הִוא ‎ Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it

5096-597: The Senior Rabbi of the Spanish & Portuguese Sephardi Community Joseph Dweck gave a class describing "the entire revolution of feminism and even homosexuality in our society   [...] is a fantastic development for humanity". These words were condemned by Rabbi Aaron Bassous as "false and misguided   [...] corrupt from beginning to end". This affair caused Dweck to step down from the Sephardic Beth Din but not as

5200-520: The Shulchan Aruch recommended to avoid such yichud , "in these generations where promiscuous people are common" (possibly a reference to the use of Köçek dancer-prostitutes in the Ottoman Empire at the time). However, this recommendation was not repeated by later authorities. Based on the precedents that yichud can apply to two men in a circumstance where homosexual behavior is a concern,

5304-574: The Temples of Aphrodite in the city of Corinth was well-known and well-spread. Greek writer-philosopher Strabo comments, "the Temple of Aphrodite was so rich that it owned a thousand temple-slaves, courtesans, whom both men and women had dedicated to the goddess". Within the same work, Strabo compares Corinth to the city of Comana, confirming the belief that temple prostitution was a notable characteristic of Corinth. Prostitutes performed sacred functions within

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5408-513: The act might be unrelated to sacred prostitution. The Deukis are temple prostitutes in Nepal. The practice is banned but still exists. Wealthier families from the Kanari, Thakuri and Bista buy girls from poorer families to be dedicated to a temple and are not allowed to marry. The Maya maintained several phallic religious cults, possibly involving homosexual temple prostitution. Much evidence for

5512-454: The act of prostitution within the city of Cyprus. A temple of Kition also shows evidence of sacred prostitution. On a marble plaque, it lists sacred prostitutes among other professions (bakers, scribes, barbers) that were part of ritual personnel at some Cypriot temples. The temple of Aphaca may be another source of evidence for temple prostitution. The process is similar to regular prostitution, where male customers paid two or three obol in

5616-418: The act, if the men involved were warned that they committed a capital offense, and the two men—or the willing party, in case of rape—subsequently acknowledged the warning but continued to engage in the prohibited act anyway. In fact, there is no account of capital punishment, in regards to this law, in Jewish history. Rabbinic tradition understands the Torah's system of capital punishment to not be in effect for

5720-400: The authors translated as "human dignity", as authority for this approach. The responsum maintained a prohibition on male-male anal sex, which it described as the sole Biblically prohibited homosexual act. This act remains a yehareg ve'al ya'avor (" die rather than transgress " offense) under the decision. Two traditionalist responsa were adopted. A responsum by Rabbi Joel Roth , adopted as

5824-543: The blessing of homosexual unions and the ordination of openly gay/lesbian/bisexual clergy. Two others completely retained traditional prohibitions. Under the rules of the Conservative movement, the adoption of multiple opinions permits individual Conservative rabbis, congregations, and rabbinical schools to select which opinion to accept, and hence to choose individually whether to maintain a traditional prohibition on homosexual conduct or to permit openly gay/lesbian/bisexual unions and clergy. The liberalizing responsum, adopted as

5928-432: The building, along with successive doors within the corridors. The successive doors suggested privacy, and within the time period, was associated with two functions: storage of valuable goods and protection of the private moments of its residents. Because the ground floors were found practically empty, the possibility that the building was used for prostitution increases. There were also religious embellishments found within

6032-462: The category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor , 'die rather than transgress', the small category of biblically-prohibited acts (also including murder , idolatry , adultery , and incest ) which an Orthodox Jew is obligated under the laws of Self-sacrifice under Jewish Law to die rather than do. According to the Talmud, homosexual acts are not necessarily forbidden between non-Jews, as it merely states that

6136-804: The conflict between Orthodox religious and social norms and LGBT self-identification. Orthodox Rabbis Shmuley Boteach and Zev Farber have questioned the opposition of Orthodox groups to government recognition of same-sex civil marriages (or in Boteach's case, to state-sanctioned civil unions), arguing that although Judaism does not condone homosexuality, governments should not enforce any particular religion's view of marriage, and that conferring civil benefits to committed homosexual couples should be viewed as promoting family values. In October 2010, Boteach wrote an op-ed column in The Wall Street Journal on homosexuality, arguing that he does not deny that there

6240-421: The contrary, those around them—family and community—should show special feeling for them, and apply to them the Torah commandment of 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' and to be diligent in avoiding the prohibition of insulting another." Rabbi Dr. Immanuel Jakobovits describes the traditional opinion on homosexuality as follows: "Jewish law   [...] rejects the view that homosexuality is to be regarded merely as

6344-456: The first Israeli Orthodox Rabbi to come out, by appearing in Uvda ("Fact"), Israel 's leading investigative television program, in an episode regarding conversion therapies in Israel. Yosef remains in his position as a pulpit Rabbi. Yosef testified that his Yemenite congregation did not accept him being a homosexual very easily and it took them a while to accept it. Yosef received death threats in

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6448-412: The first openly gay Orthodox person to be ordained as a rabbi; he was ordained by the rabbi Daniel Landes, in Jerusalem. In October 2023, The Forward reported about Shua Brick, "experts say that Brick is the first openly gay rabbi to serve on the clergy of an Orthodox synagogue in the U.S.", explaining that Brick "runs the youth program, leads Torah study for adults, and fills in when the senior rabbi

6552-508: The form of or in addition to dedications to Aphrodite in exchange for sex with a temple prostitute. In the temple of Aphaca specifically, the men would dedicate their payment to "Cyprian Aphrodite" before engaging in sex with a temple prostitute. The Roman emperor Constantine closed down a number of temples to Venus or similar deities in the 4th century AD, as the Christian church historian Eusebius proudly noted. Eusebius also writes that

6656-528: The girls were gifted to the temple from other members of society in return for success in particular endeavors. One example that shows the gifting of girls to the temple is the poem of Athenaeus , which explores an athlete Xenophon’s actions of gifting a group of courtesans to Aphrodite as a thanks-offering for his victory in a competition. Specifically in 464 BC, Xenophon was victorious in the Olympic Games and donated 100 slaves to Aphrodite’s temple. Pindar ,

6760-416: The goddess of love, worshipping Aphrodite through an act rather than a physical dedication. In the temple of Apollo at Bulla Regia , a woman was found buried with an inscription reading: "Adulteress. Prostitute. Seize [me], because I fled from Bulla Regia." It has been speculated she might have been a woman forced into sacred prostitution as a punishment for adultery. The act of sacred prostitution within

6864-409: The goddess who presided over human birth. It has been argued that sacred prostitution, worked by both males and females, was a custom of ancient Phoenicians . It would be dedicated to the deities Astarte and Adonis , and sometimes performed as a festival or social rite in the cities of Byblos , Afqa and Baalbek (later named Heliopolis ) as well as the nearby Syrian city of Palmyra . At

6968-404: The image of the king; hymns which praise Ancient Near Eastern kings for coupling with the goddess Ishtar often speak of them as running 320 km (200 mi), offering sacrifices, feasting with the sun-god Utu , and receiving a royal crown from An , all in a single day. Some modern historians argue in the same direction, though their posture has been disputed. According to Herodotus ,

7072-507: The lack of solid evidence has indicated that the word might refer to prostitutes who offered their services in the vicinity of temples, where they could attract a larger number of clients. The term might have originated as consecrated maidens employed in Canaanite and Phoenician temples, which became synonymous with harlotry for Biblical writers. In any case, the translation of sacred prostitute has continued, however, because it explains how

7176-485: The late 20th century, a number of scholars have challenged the veracity of sacred prostitution as a concept, suggesting that the claims are based on mistranslations, misunderstandings or outright inventions of ancient authors. Authors have also interpreted evidence as secular prostitution administered in the temple under the patronage of fertility deities , not as an act of religious worship by itself. Sacred prostitution has many different characteristics depending on

7280-513: The legal components . Reasons suggested by the rabbis for the prohibition on gay male sex include the following: While a variety of views regarding homosexuality as an inclination or status exist within the Orthodox Jewish community, Orthodox Judaism generally prohibits homosexual conduct. While there is some disagreement about which male homosexual acts come under core prohibitions, the majority of Orthodox Judaism puts male-male anal sex in

7384-468: The main concern was whether or not this activity removed their status as a virgin , making them ineligible to marry a member of the priesthood . However, the Sifra condemned marriage between two women, considering it within the category of licentious foreign behavior which is forbidden to Jews. Following this lead, later halakhic codes prohibited tribadism on the same grounds. The penalty for lesbian acts

7488-569: The man caught does teshuva (repentance), i.e., he ceases his forbidden actions, regrets what he has done, apologizes to God, and makes a binding resolution never to repeat those actions, he is seen to be forgiven by God. Although lesbianism is not explicitly prohibited in the Hebrew Bible, sexual liaisons between women are forbidden by Orthodox rabbinical literature . The Talmud discusses tribadism (women rubbing genitals together, or nashim mesolelot ) without explicitly prohibiting it;

7592-986: The men, with inheritance rights, wealth and influence, as well as living outside of the dangers of marriage. The system was criticised by British colonial government while defended by Brahmins, leading to a decline in support for the system and the devadasis soon turned to prostitution . Many scholars have stated that the Hindu scriptures do not mention the system. Human Rights Watch also reports claims that devadasis are forced into this service and, at least in some cases, to practise prostitution for upper-caste members. Various state governments in India enacted laws to ban this practice both prior to India's independence and more recently. They include Bombay Devdasi Act, 1934, Devdasi (Prevention of dedication) Madras Act, 1947, Karnataka Devdasi (Prohibition of dedication) Act, 1982, and Andhra Pradesh Devdasi (Prohibition of dedication) Act, 1988. However,

7696-681: The natural order. Conservative Rabbi Robert Kirshchner states that Jews have historically adapted their laws to new circumstances, indicating accommodation for homosexuality. In Conservative Judaism , the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly makes the movement's decisions concerning Jewish law . In 1992, the CJLS action affirmed its traditional prohibition on homosexual conduct, blessing same-sex unions, and ordaining openly gay/lesbian/bisexual clergy. However, these prohibitions grew increasingly controversial within

7800-509: The noted Assyriologist Samuel Noah Kramer , the kings would further establish their legitimacy by taking part in a ritual sexual act in the temple of the fertility goddess Ishtar every year on the tenth day of the New Year festival Akitu . However, no certain evidence has survived to prove that sexual intercourse was included, despite many popular descriptions of the habit. It is possible that these unions never occurred but were embellishments to

7904-640: The organization for fraud, claiming that it sold them therapies that were ineffective and counterproductive. Soon after in that same year, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), a professional association of more than 1,000 Orthodox rabbis around the world, sent an open email to its members that it no longer supported conversion therapy generally, or JONAH specifically. In 2015, a New Jersey jury found JONAH guilty of consumer fraud for promising to be able to change its clients' sexual urges and determined its commercial practices to be unconscionable. As part of

8008-562: The past approximately 2,000 years, in the absence of a Sanhedrin and Temple . The relative absence of anti-homosexual prosecutions is also linked to the Jewish belief that homosexuality did not exist in the community . Classical rabbinic Jewish sources do not specifically mention that homosexual attraction is inherently sinful. In fact, the mental and emotional feelings two men experience when they engage in intimate relations are not condemned. However, they are condemned if intercourse, commonly interpreted as penetrative sex , occurs. If

8112-530: The phenomenon of temple sexual rites can be generalised to the whole of the ancient world, as earlier scholars typically did. In Hammurabi's code of laws , the rights and good name of female sacred sexual priestesses were protected. The same legislation that protected married women from slander applied to them and their children. They could inherit property from their fathers, collect income from land worked by their brothers, and dispose of property. These rights have been described as extraordinary, taking into account

8216-506: The proclivities, and therefore, people with same-sex tendencies, men and women, have no invalidation in halacha or tradition. They are obligated by the commandments of the Torah, they can fulfill a [ritual] obligation on behalf of the public, and carry out all of the community functions just like any member." It also stated, in part, "Just as it [is] inconceivable to mock someone for being physically, behaviorally, or mentally different, so too those with same-sex tendencies should not be mocked. On

8320-443: The rabbi, or where the rabbi maybe should not be approached. For instance, the rebbetzin may be consulted in personal questions regarding female sexuality. When a rabbi is a "pulpit rabbi" (versus a teacher or a "lay rabbi"), his rebbetzin may become something of a "first lady" of the community, performing social tasks and ceremonial roles. With the growth of independent leadership roles among Orthodox women, some women have received

8424-461: The region, class and the religious ideals of the period and the place, and consequently can have many different definitions. One definition that was developed was due to the common types of sacred prostitution that are recorded in Classical sources: sale of a woman's virginity or rinni in honor of a goddess or a once-in-a-lifetime prostitution, professional prostitutes or slaves owned by a temple or sanctuary, and temporary prostitution that occurs before

8528-563: The religious practices of the Aztec culture was destroyed during the Spanish conquest , and almost the only evidence for the practices of their religion is from Spanish accounts. The Franciscan Spanish Friar Bernardino de Sahagún learned their language and spent more than 50 years studying the culture. He wrote that they participated in religious festivals and rituals, as well as performing sexual acts as part of religious practice. This may be evidence for

8632-513: The repelling of the Persians. Athenaeus also alludes to the idea that many of Aphrodite’s temples and sanctuaries were occupied by temple prostitutes. These prostitutes were known to practise sexual rituals in different cities which included Corinth, Magnesia, and Samos. Some evidence of sacred prostitution was evident in Minoan Crete . The building in question is known as the "East Building", but

8736-457: The rites performed at these temples included sexual intercourse, or what scholars later called sacred sexual rites: The foulest Babylonian custom is that which compels every woman of the land to sit in the temple of Aphrodite ( Ishtar ) and have intercourse with some stranger at least once in her life. Many women who are rich and proud and disdain to mingle with the rest, drive to the temple in covered carriages drawn by teams, and stand there with

8840-611: The role of women at the time. All translations are sourced from the Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary . Akkadian terms were used in the Akkadian Empire, Assyria, and Babylonia. The terms themselves come from lexical profession lists on tablets dating back to the Early Dynastic period. Notes on the cuneiform : by convention Akkadian is italicised, spoken Sumerian is lowercase and cuneiform sign transliteration

8944-436: The same sex", "transitory" and "situational" homosexuals who would prefer heterosexual intercourse but are denied it or seek gain in homosexuality, and heterosexuals who are merely curious. When Steven Greenberg , who received Orthodox rabbinic ordination, publicly announced in 1999 that he was homosexual, there was a significant response from rabbis of all denominations reported in the Jewish newspapers. Rabbi Moshe Tendler ,

9048-581: The sentence, JONAH was required to cease all operations, but continues to operate under the name JIFGA as of 2018 . Jiří Mordechai Langer , who studied in the Hasidic community of Belz , arrived in Palestine in 1940. "His reconciliation of homosexuality and Judaism involved   [...] a homosexual Jewish theology;   [...] a sociology of Jewish homosexuality in Hasidism". Haredi Rabbi Avigdor Miller defended

9152-417: The sexual requests of visitors to the temple. While there may not be a direct connection between temples and prostitution, many prostitutes and courtesans worshipped Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Prostitutes would use their earnings to pay for dedications and ritualistic celebrations in honour of Aphrodite. Some prostitutes also viewed the action of sexual service and sexual pleasure as an act of devotion to

9256-486: The stated punishment for willful violation was the death penalty , though minors under 13 years of age were exempt from this, as from any other penalty. However, even in Biblical times, it was very difficult to get a conviction that would lead to this prescribed punishment. The Jewish Oral Law states that capital punishment would be applicable only if two men were caught in the act of anal sex , if there were two witnesses to

9360-824: The temple for adultery. Pyrgi's sacred prostitutes were famous enough to be apparently mentioned in a lost fragment of Lucilius 's works. In northern Africa, the area of influence of the Phoenician colony of Carthage , this service was associated to the city of Sicca , a nearby city that received the name of Sicca Veneria for its temple of Astarte or Tanit (called Venus by Roman authors). Valerius Maximus describes how their women gained gifts by engaging in prostitution with visitors. Phoenicio-Punic settlements in Hispania , like Cancho Roano , Gadir , Castulo and La Quéjola, have suggested this practice through their archaeology and iconography. In particular, Cancho Roano features

9464-401: The temple of Aphrodite. They would often burn incense in honor of Aphrodite. Chameleon of Heracleia recorded in his book, On Pindar , that whenever the city of Corinth prayed to Aphrodite in manners of great importance, many prostitutes were invited to participate in the prayers and petitions. The girls involved in temple prostitution were typically slaves owned by the temple. However, some of

9568-418: The temple; but while he casts the money, he must say, "I invite you in the name of Mylitta ". It does not matter what sum the money is; the woman will never refuse, for that would be a sin, the money being by this act made sacred. So she follows the first man who casts it and rejects no one. After their intercourse, having discharged her sacred duty to the goddess, she goes away to her home; and thereafter there

9672-532: The terms " sacred sex " or "sacred sexual rites" in cases where payment for services is not involved. The historicity of literal sacred prostitution, particularly in some places and periods, is a controversial topic within the academic world. Historically mainstream historiography has considered it a probable reality, based on the abundance of ancient sources and chroniclers detailing its practices, although it has proved harder to differentiate between true prostitution and sacred sex without remuneration. Beginning in

9776-427: The third paper by Gordon Tucker which would have lifted all restrictions on homosexual sexual practices. Qedesha Sacred prostitution , temple prostitution , cult prostitution , and religious prostitution are purported rites consisting of paid intercourse performed in the context of religious worship , possibly as a form of fertility rite or divine marriage ( hieros gamos ). Scholars prefer

9880-556: The title on their own merit, irrespective of their husbands. Homosexuality in Judaism The subject of homosexuality and Judaism dates back to the Torah . The book of Vayikra ( Leviticus ) is traditionally regarded as classifying sexual intercourse between males as a to'eivah (something abhorred or detested) that can be subject to capital punishment by the current Sanhedrin under halakha (Jewish law). The issue has been

9984-590: The tradition continues in certain regions of India, particularly the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . During the Kamakura period , many shrines and temples, which provided for miko , fell into bankruptcy. Some miko started travelling in search of livelihood and came to be known as aruki miko (歩き巫女 lit. walking shrine-maiden). While aruki miko primarily provided religious services, they were also widely associated with prostitution. However, no religious reasons for miko prostitution are known, and hence

10088-462: The twentieth century, scholars generally believed that a form of sacred marriage rite ( hieros gamos ) was staged between the kings in the ancient Near Eastern region of Sumer and the high priestesses of Inanna , the Sumerian goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare, later called Ishtar . The king would have sex with the priestess to represent the union of Dumuzid with Inanna . According to

10192-609: The word kedeshah literally means set apart (in feminine form), from the Semitic root Q-D-Sh (קדש)‎ meaning holy , consecrated or set apart . Nevertheless, zonah and qedeshah are not interchangeable terms: the former occurs 93 times in the Bible, whereas the latter is only used in three places, conveying different connotations. This double meaning has led to the belief that kedeshah were not ordinary prostitutes, but sacred harlots who worked out of fertility temples. However,

10296-416: The word can mean such disparate concepts as sacred and prostitute . As put by DeGrado, "neither the interpretation of the קדשה as a 'priestess-not-prostitute' (according to Westenholz) nor as a 'prostitute-not-priestess' (according to Gruber) adequately represents the semantic range of Hebrew word in biblical and post-biblical Hebrew." Male prostitutes were called kadesh or qadesh (literally: male who

10400-445: The year leading up to the 2009 Tel Aviv gay centre shooting . In 2013, he stated he was in a relationship with a man. Yosef has stated his approach to the issue of homosexuality in Judaism as follows: "It is clear to me that lying with another man is forbidden, and our starting point is commitment to halacha and Torah . The goal is not to seek permission. But you need to give us a shoulder and support." In 2019 Daniel Atwood became

10504-615: Was Cyprus , whose main temples were located in Paphos , Amathus and Kition . The epigraphy of the Kition temple describes personal economic activity on the temple, as sacred prostitution would have been taxed as any other occupation, and names possible practitioners as grm (male) and lmt (female). The Hebrew Bible uses two different words for prostitute, zonah (זונה)‎ and kedeshah (or qedesha ) (קדשה)‎. The word zonah simply meant an ordinary prostitute or loose woman . But

10608-598: Was a connection with ritual prostitution within temples of Aphrodite. There is a report that was found of an epigram of Simonides commemorating the prayer of the prostitutes of Corinth on behalf of the salvation of the Greeks from the invading Achaemenid Empire in the Greco-Persian Wars of the early fifth century BCE. Both temple prostitutes and priestesses prayed to Aphrodite for help, and were honoured for their potent prayers, which Greek citizens believed contributed to

10712-470: Was also referred to as "the House of the Ladies" by the excavator of the building. Some believe that the architecture of this building seemed to reflect the grooming needs of women, but could also have been a brothel for high status individuals. The structure of the interior of the building seemed to suggest that the building was used for prostitution. Large clay vats typically used for bathing were found within

10816-452: Was flagellation, rather than the death penalty. Two reasons that explain the latter include lesbianism not being explicitly prohibited in the Torah and the belief that it did not constitute intercourse. Sifra states: "'Like the deeds of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, you shall not do' – What would they do? A man would marry a man, a woman would marry a woman..." Nonetheless, some contemporary scholars believe that same-sex marriage

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