Harlot; Whore (from Scarlett Alliance)
Ishtar was the primary Babylonian deity, a goddess strongly associated with sex work. As the Whore of Babylon, Ishtar proudly oversaw the continuing tradition of sacred prostitution, announcing on a stone tablet, which is still in existence. "A prostitute compassionate am I”. One of her titles was the Great Goddess Har, Mother of Harlots. Her high priestess, the Harine, was spiritual ruler of her city of Ishtar.
"Har" can be read as a cognate of the Persian houri (sacred temple whores and dancing girls, they were Ladies of the Hour. Each ruled a certain hour of the night, and marked the hours of the night by whirling dances. The oldest authentic Hebrew folk dance is still called hora after the circle dances of the sacred harlots) and Greek horae, and may also be the origin of "harem," which formerly meant a temple of women or sanctuary. The term harlot also finds its basis with Har. Harlot was a term for whore priestesses who were employed in Ishtar’s temples, administering sexual sacraments to worshipers, who would leave offerings to the temple, for the upkeep of the priestesses, and in honour of Ishtar.
The Hebrew form of Har was Hor; this along with the Persian term Houri seems to be the origin of the word whore. In the Hebrew Bible, whoredom was used to refer to both sex work, and idolatry - worship given to an image, but its signification has been extended to all Divine worship given to anyone or anything but the true God (Jews, along with Christians and Moslems are monotheistic); unfaithfulness to God. Thus it is possible to infer that sex work, and Pagan spiritual practices were linked in the minds of Hebrew prophets – and that religious harlotry, or cult prostitution, associated with fertility of the land; and practiced throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean regions was considered a threat to Judaism.
Yeah thought so, especially if whore is used within an insult like "your mothers a whore', it can't be a good thing to be referred to as.
