The Myth of Sacred Prostitution in Antiquity
"...meticulous examination...clear argumentation.  The book is a thrilling expose' of historiography at its worst."  --TLS"Throughout most of the book the material is presented well and each avenue is thoroughly explored. It provides a good grounding for students studying Ancient Greece and Rome to explore this hotly debated topic." --Rosetta"This well-researched and often humorously written monograph deals with what the  author calls the "myth of sacred prostitution." The author uses the word "myth" to denote something that is widely believed but has no foundation in reality, along the line of the modern expression "urban myth." She makes her point forcefully: although sacred prostitution is regarded in multiple scholarly books and dictionaries as an actual historical phenomenon, it never existed. Budin's book investigates both the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean world. As such, it breaks new ground, as most previous similar studies have dealt exclusively with Mesopotamia."                   --Review of Biblical Literature"B. has written a thought-provoking book that forces the reader to rethink the  institution of sacred prostitution and even historical method more generally. She  collects together and analysis in context all references associated with sacred  prostitution, making the book essential reading on the topic. In general, she is  convincing in her conclusion that sacred prostitution has no historical authority  and that scholars have wrongfully manipulated evidence to support such an  institution. Since the belief in sacred prostitution has in many ways impeded the  study of prostitution more generally, particularly at Corinth, this conclusion is to  be welcomed."  --Classical Review