A qedesha (or qedsha), Hebrew spelling קדשה, is a temple or sacred prostitute, in several ancient
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qedesha — One of a class of sacred prostitutes found throughout the ancient Middle East and associated especially with the worship of the fertility goddess Astarte. Prostitutes, who often played an important part in official temple worship, could be either … Universalium
Ordination of women — Main article: Ordination Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated (set apart for the administration of various religious rites). The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious … Wikipedia
Hierodule — In ancient Greece and Anatolia a hierodule, from the Greek polytonic|ἱεροδούλη (polytonic|ἱερόν temple + δούλη female slave ), was a temple slave in the service of a specific deity, often with the connotation of religious prostitution. Her… … Wikipedia
Middle Eastern religion — Introduction any of the religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices developed in the ancient Middle East (extending geographically from Iran to Egypt and from Anatolia and the Aegean Sea to the Arabian Peninsula and temporally from about… … Universalium
Sacred prostitution — Sacred prostitution, temple prostitution, or religious prostitution is a practice of worship that includes hieros gamos or sacred marriage performed as a fertility rite and part of sacred sexual ritual. Contents 1 Ancient Near East 1.1… … Wikipedia
