A brief description
of Babylonian prostitutes in history, art, and literature:
The prostitute who
goes out to the inn, who makes the bedchamber delightful, who is food to the
poor man. Lugalbanda in the mountain
cave: c.1.8.2.1, lines 173 - 182.
The seven signs of a Babylonian
prostitute:
1) Cupping the
breasts:
There are many examples of nude or semi-nude women cupping
their breasts in this provocative "come hither" pose. See another
example. They are commonly labeled simply as "women," but they are
actually prostitutes − every single one of them.
Cupping their breasts is not just one of many suggestive poses performed by the
women. Basically, it is the only suggestive pose, so this gesture clearly has a symbolic
meaning. In Babylonian art, it is the hallmark of a prostitute. Simply
put, if a woman is performing this gesture, she is a prostitute.
Coincidentally, I recently saw a movie where a modern
prostitute did the exact same thing on the streets of New York City. She
advertised her services to a prospective client by cupping her breasts. Apparently, some things haven't changed too much in the world’s oldest profession.
In a case of art imitating life (or vice versa) …
This woman is fully clothed, but she is also cupping her
breasts This is how you could recognize a Babylonian prostitute on a city
street. She wore clothes in public, of course; she didn't parade around in the
nude. Cupping her breasts in her hands was a signal to a prospective client
that she was a prostitute, ready and available. The signal may have been subtle
when the authorities were around, or not so subtle when the coast was clear.
In ancient Mesopotamia, prostitution wasn’t a criminal
offense like it is in America today. Nonetheless, there has always been a prejudice
against prostitutes. The authorities always placed restrictions on how,
when, and where a prostitute could practice her trade. Even a benign king like
Gudea banished all prostitutes from the city during the dedication of a new
temple (see Munus-kin on this website). According to the laws of
Tiglath-pileser (Middle Assyrian period, ca. 1400-1000 BC), if a prostitute was
caught in public wearing the veil of a married woman, she was flogged fifty
times with a stave, and then hot tar was poured on her head.
2) Jewelry:
The pearls of a
prostitute are placed around your neck, and you are likely to snatch a man from
the tavern. A hymn to Inanna as
Ninegala (Inanna D): c.4.07.4, lines 109 -115.
Women who are portrayed nude except for jewelry are
prostitutes. The jewelry was part of the identifying “insignia” of a prostitute.
Many of the women wore several beaded necklaces. Presumably, the more jewelry,
the more desirable the prostitute, like a “high class call girl,” as opposed to
a lower-class streetwalker. The jewelry may also be part of how she conducted
her business. At this stage in history there was no such thing as “money.” There
was no paper currency or metal coins, so perhaps the beads were how she was
paid (the beads were a kind of portable wealth). It has also been suggested the necklaces were made of distinctive seashells
that clearly identified the woman as a prostitute.
In addition to the necklace, many prostitutes also wore
bracelets (as shown above) and anklets.
3) The belt:
See
a similar statue. It looks the same, but it’s actually different.
This broad belt was made of cloth or leather.
For some reason, a Babylonian prostitute often wore a belt,
sometimes several. Many of the belts seem to be made of beads. Other belts
are finer in appearance, suggesting they were made of thin chains of gold or
silver.
This woman has all the attributes and accoutrements of a Babylonian
prostitute: She is nude and she cups her
breasts. She also wears a necklace, bracelets, anklets, and several thin belts.
4) Waving:
There are several examples of
nude prostitutes who are waving. I suggest they are beckoning to a prospective
client (the viewer).
5) Tavern scenes:
Surprisingly, brothels were not the main centers of
prostitution in ancient Babylonia. Most prostitution occurred in the temples of
Inanna (also surprising) and in taverns.
I was able to find only one reference to a brothel in Babylonian
writing. It is The Cursing of Agade,
which describes a bloody curse laid upon the city by the gods because of the
impiety of its king (Naram-Sin):
May your cattle
slaughterer slaughter his wife, may your sheep butcher butcher his child! May
your prostitute hang herself at the entrance to her brothel! May your pregnant
(?) priestesses and cult prostitutes abort (?) their children! The Cursing
of Agade: c.2.1.5, lines 222 - 244.
Even so, the translation of eš2-dam as “brothel” is somewhat problematic. It is also defined as
“a tavern.”
Of the eight literary works on the ETCSL that mention prostitutes,
six of them also mention taverns and inns.
There are many examples of a man and a woman having sex
while the woman drinks beer from a long straw (it’s a double entendre, in case
you haven’t figured that out already). I suggest the pot of beer indicates that
the action is taking place in a tavern.
I further suggest that the woman is a prostitute.
The graphic nature of the scene implies that the man isn’t making love to his
wife or girlfriend, he is having sex with a prostitute. All similar examples (and there are many of them, it’s a common
motif) are depictions of men consorting with prostitutes in taverns.
All except this one:
This cylinder seal impression is described on a separate page. See In Flagrante Delicto.
When I sit in the
alehouse, I am a woman, and I am an exuberant young man. When I am present at a
place of quarrelling, I am a woman, a figurine brought to life. When I sit by
the gate of the tavern, I am a prostitute familiar with the penis; the friend
of a man, the girlfriend of a woman. A šir-namšub to Inanna (Inanna I): c.4.07.9,
lines 16 - 22
The close association of taverns and prostitution makes
Ku-Baba’s rise to power seem all the more remarkable. Ku-Baba was the “female
tavern keeper” who became the queen of Kish. See Queen Ku-Baba on this website.
6) Couples in bed:
There are several examples like this, labeled as a young
couple in bed, but this isn’t exactly what’s happening. Can you guess what it
is? Click here for the answer.
A Babylonian prostitute reduced to the bare essentials. We know she is a prostitute, and not just a regular woman, because she is nude and wearing multiple belts.
7) Anatomical features (or the lack thereof):
Even a crude rendition, like the one shown above, highlights an
unusual feature on many depictions of Babylonian prostitutes:
Belly markings. Many of the prostitutes have mysterious
lines on their abdomens. Some of the lines look like they could be jewelry, but other lines are not attached anywhere. They do not hang from the neck like a necklace
and they do not go all around the waist like a belt.
As shown in a group photo, some of the prostitutes have the
belly markings and some of them do not. The meaning of the markings isn’t known.
In many cases (as shown above and below) the size of the
vagina is intentionally exaggerated.
Note the artistic attention to detail. This anatomical feature
is seen on many portrayals of Babylonian prostitutes.
On the other hand, in more than 100 depictions of Diqdiqqeh prostitutes,
none of them have nipples. Not a single one. It seems odd that the artists had
no qualms about showing the “you-know-what” but they somehow felt bashful about
showing a nipple. It’s very strange. There must have been a very good reason
for this widely accepted artistic convention, but I don’t know what it is.
Temple prostitutes
As previously mentioned, the temples of Inanna (also called
Ishtar) were the centers of “sacred prostitution.”
Some modern writers have expressed doubts that temple
prostitutes actually existed, but there is simply too much evidence (in
history, art, and literature) that proves the existence of temple prostitution in
ancient Babylonia. However, there is no evidence that it was practiced by the
Sumerians, even though they had the same religion. Maybe they did, but there isn't any evidence for it.
The quintessential Inanna, the winged goddess of lust and
war, is shown here with weapons bristling behind her while she is “showing some
leg.” She wears a helmet with many horns, indicating that she is a major
goddess (the more horns, the higher the rank).
Inanna herself is often portrayed as a prostitute. Here she
is shown nude, wearing only a necklace and two bracelets, just like the other prostitutes
shown on this page. Although crude, the picture is very graphic, which is perhaps
none too surprising. Several works of Babylonian literature make repeated references
to Inanna’s genitals.
Inanna is also shown cupping her breasts like a common prostitute.
I suggest the above two pictures, by themselves, are enough to prove the existence of sacred prostitution in ancient Babylonia. If the goddess herself is portrayed as a prostitute, then it shouldn't be too surprising that prostitutes served in her temple.
It’s odd that a major goddess is graphically portrayed as a
common prostitute. In any other religion, it would be considered blasphemous. For
instance, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, is never shown in graphic and
demeaning ways. It seems that the Babylonian artists would be apprehensive
about portraying a goddess in this pornographic manner, especially Inanna. She
could be violent, even psychotic. She was a very scary woman.
It wasn’t just the artists who portrayed Inanna as a prostitute,
it was the writers as well. "Inanna the prostitute" was a common motif.
The passage quoted earlier about “the pearls of a prostitute” refers to Inanna herself:
[…] then, my lady,
like the nameless poor, you wear only a single garment. The pearls of a
prostitute are placed around your neck, and you are likely to snatch a man from
the tavern. As you hasten to the embrace of your spouse Dumuzid, Inanna, then
the seven paranymphs share the bedchamber with you.
(A paranymph is a
female attendant. Seven paranymphs?
Lucky Dumuzid!)
In a different passage from the same work:
They cannot compete
with you, Inanna. As a prostitute you go down to the tavern, and like a ghost
who slips in through the window, you enter there. A hymn to Inanna as Ninegala (Inanna D):
c.4.07.4, lines 95 - 106.
This
is a temple prostitute.
You have brought
with you the cultic prostitute, you have brought with you the holy
tavern. Inanna and Enki:
c.1.3.1, lines 41 - 46.
Of course, not all of the naked women portrayed in Babylonian
art were prostitutes. Some of the statues are merely “nudes,” artistic works that express an
appreciation for the beauty of the female body:
These women are not prostitutes. They do not perform the
specific gesture of cupping their breasts and they do not wear jewelry or a
belt.
This woman is not a prostitute. This is another portrait of The Babylonian Woman. It is the same woman, sculpted by the same artist. See The Babylonian Wife.
This woman isn't a prostitute either. She is a young mother. See the complete statue.
Male prostitutes?
I have lifted the yoke of its male
prostitutes. A praise poem of
Ur-Namma (Ur-Namma C): c.2.4.1.3, lines 79 - 85.
This translation of “male prostitute” (saĝ-ur-saĝ, pronounced sang-ur-sang) is misleading. The Sumerian Lexicon has it defined as “a eunuch.”
Tightening their
hairgrips for her, male prostitutes parade before her, holy Inanna. Their locks
of hair at the back are adorned for her with colored rags; they parade before
her, holy Inanna. Clothed in the leather of divinity, they parade before her, holy Inanna. A šir-namursaĝa to
Ninsiana for Iddin-Dagan (Iddin-Dagan A): c.2.5.3.1, lines 49 – 58.
Sounds kinky, doesn’t it? But there’s something wrong
with this picture.
“Male prostitutes” gives the impression the men are
homosexuals, so one has to wonder, “Why would Inanna, the female goddess of
lust, have any use for homosexual men?” A quick look at the transliteration
reveals the answer: Each “male prostitute” is actually a saĝ-ur-saĝ, a eunuch, which makes a lot more sense. Eunuchs were the
only men who can be completely trusted to serve in a temple of women. Apparently
some eunuchs achieved a very high status in the performance of their duty,
since saĝ-ur-saĝ is also defined as a
“royal attendant, a powerful servant,” just like the eunuchs in ancient China.
(Note: The
high-priestess in the temple was not a prostitute, since a high-priestess was
always a highborn noblewoman. The other priestesses in the temple were ladies of
the lesser nobility. The temple prostitutes themselves were either commoners or
slaves.)
Slave
prostitutes
You should not buy a
prostitute: she is a mouth that bites. […] You should not buy a palace slave girl: she will always be the bottom
of the barrel (?). You should rather bring down a foreign slave from the
mountains. The Instructions of
Šuruppag: c.5.6.1, lines 154 - 164.
This passage underscores a tragic feature of Babylonian
prostitution that is often overlooked. It began thousands of years before the Babylonian period.
It
harkens back to the very beginning of Mesopotamia civilization, to the Sumerian
era, when the signs for “prostitute” were first written down.
Kar-kid means
“prostitute.” Geme2 is a professional
designation, meaning “a female worker, servant, or slave.” Geme2 is composed of two signs, munus,
“woman,” and kur,
“mountain/eastern/foreign country.” A "female worker or servant” is a native-born woman. A
“female slave” is literally “a foreign woman from the eastern mountains.”
Babylonia was composed of the regions formerly known as
Sumer and Akkad (and beyond). To the east were the lands of Elam and Gutium, in the
Zagros Mountains (modern-day Iran).
Geme2-kar-kid
implies that many Babylonian prostitutes were slaves from Elam and Gutium.
As indicated by the quote, “you should bring down a
foreign slave from the mountains,” a slave woman from the Zagros Mountains was
available for purchase. She may have been sold into slavery by her own family,
who were destitute and possibly facing starvation. More likely, she was
captured by neighboring tribesmen, who then sold her to the Babylonians for a
profit.
The most likely explanation is that she was captured by the Babylonians
themselves. Since the beginning of recorded history, the Sumerians and Akkadians
were often at war with the Gutian and Elamite tribes. Now it was the Babylonians’
turn to fight against the tribesmen. The men and women that were captured in
these battles were the primary source of slaves for the Babylonians (although
sometimes it was the other way around, when the tribesmen made hit-and-run
raids into Babylonian territory).
Prostitution is a hard life for a woman, even under the best
of circumstances. For a slave, it's the worst of all possible worlds. Not for
nothing it is called “a fate worse than death.”
For the woman, the day of her capture was the beginning of
her worst nightmare. She saw her village burned to the ground. She witnessed
her friends and family members being brutally murdered by the rampaging soldiers.
She may have been raped by the soldiers. Then she was tied up with ropes and
force-marched into a hostile foreign country, herded into slavery along with
the rest of the miserable survivors.
Now began the rest of her unhappy life. If she was “lucky,”
she became a concubine for a nobleman or a rich merchant, where she only had to
deal with the unwanted attentions of just one man (or perhaps a few). The
next best option was probably to be a temple prostitute, where she was afforded
some protection, some "respectability,” and the company of other women who
shared the same fate (misery is easier to bear when it is shared with others).
The worst option was to be a prostitute in a tavern or brothel, where she had
to satisfy the desires of many drunken men.
In any case, the captive woman had no rights or status, and little hope of
freedom. She had no expectation of a normal life. None of her dreams would ever
be fulfilled, the dreams that most women take for granted, and she had no
husband or children to love her and to take care of her in her old age.
Sometimes a prostitute slave was eventually given her freedom − when she was older and no longer attractive. Then she was turned out on the streets to fend for herself so her master didn't have to take care of her when she was old.
“Freelance”
Babylonian prostitutes
Of course, not all Babylonian prostitutes were slaves. Some of
them were free-born women who became destitute, and they turned to prostitution
as a temporary solution. For them, unlike for the slaves, there was always some
hope of a better life.
A Babylonian prostitute.
You may be wondering, why do so many of these plaques show prostitutes?
The plaques pictured on this page were the Babylonian version
of pornography. Remember, the Babylonians didn’t have paper to draw on. They
didn’t have cotton, so there was no canvas for painting. If there were any
paintings done on wood, they haven’t survived the millennia. The plaques were
formed in molds and then fired in a kiln, which is why they lasted for thousands of years. Many of them portray prostitutes because this was the usual form of sex
for most young men
A young man and woman in bed. The woman is not cupping her
breasts and she isn’t wearing jewelry or a belt, so perhaps she isn’t a
prostitute.
Then again, maybe she is. I suggest that even if a woman is not clearly identified as a prostitute (with the cupping of the breasts, the belt, jewelry, etc.), if she is engaged in sex , she is a prostitute.
In ancient times, a young man didn’t have a lot of
opportunities for premarital sex. The young women that he knew were under
strict parental authority. Plus, the women were worried about getting pregnant.
Unlike today, they didn’t have access to birth control or abortion. In
addition, they were concerned about their reputation. They didn’t want to be “that kind of girl,” because they were saving themselves for marriage. A woman
with a reputation for promiscuity had very few prospects for finding a husband.
Men didn’t want to marry a woman who couldn’t be trusted to remain faithful
after marriage. Once married, a woman still had the same fears of pregnancy,
and she certainly didn’t want to get caught by her husband. As a result, there
weren’t a lot of young women who were “sleeping around.”
In ancient Babylonia, there was really no such thing as
“casual sex,” so if a man wanted to get laid, he had only one real option:
prostitutes. By all accounts, the prostitutes were cheap (“food for the poor
man”) and plentiful.
That is why there are so many depictions of prostitutes in
Babylonian art. If an artist wanted to portray the usual sexual experience, he
didn’t think in terms of “Sex and the Single Girl.” He didn’t think in terms of
married women. He thought only in terms of prostitutes.
Sure, this plaque may show a married couple
making love, but it probably shows a man having sex with a prostitute, and
it thus reflects the sexual mores of Babylonian society.
See
a similar 
This
is a temple prostitute.
A Babylonian prostitute.
