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In_The_Wind

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27. I was unaware that Temple Harlots were required to serve.

Mon Apr 1, 2013, 07:12 AM

Apr 2013

Ishtar was the goddess of love, war and sex. These days, thanks to Herodotus, she is especially associated with sacred prostitution* (also known as temple prostitution), which, in the religions of the Ancient Near East, allegedly took on the form of every woman having to, at some point in her life, go to the temple of Ishtar and have sex with the first stranger who offered her money. Once a woman entered the temple of Ishtar for the purpose of sacred prostitution, she was not allowed to leave until she’d done the deed. I can’t imagine that sacred prostitution sex was ever very good sex, but hey, what do I know? Probably some people were pretty into it – I mean, if you can imagine it, someone’s made porn about it, right?

Although I fully understand to need to reduce the urge to kill by these means.

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Have you seen the "Ishtar = Easter" meme floating around? Yeah, about that... [View all] WilliamPitt Mar 2013 OP

I read your headline, and my first thought went to (Oh, The Horror)..... MADem Mar 2013 #1

LOL, that's exactly what I was thinking. I guess some bad experiences stay with you forever. n/t winter is coming Mar 2013 #6

Even Dustin Hoffman said something along those lines!! MADem Mar 2013 #7

The late Gene Shalit's one-line review: "Ishtar . . . Ish tarrible!" 6000eliot Mar 2013 #13

Gene Shalit is still alive dflprincess Mar 2013 #19

My bad! Isn't there a web site devoted to whether or not celebrities are still with us? 6000eliot Mar 2013 #22

I remember that! MADem Mar 2013 #21

I think the point is that Easter has a lot to do with the Goddess, Will. More so, originally villager Mar 2013 #2

Bunnies and eggs are a European tradition in honor of Oestara, Cleita Mar 2013 #3

true, It is clearer when people learn the sabbath is celebrated during the equinox Dragonfli Mar 2013 #8

What happens to this whole line of argument when you go to another country like Russia? JVS Mar 2013 #4

Or maybe this: The Velveteen Ocelot Mar 2013 #5

I don't think it has anything to do with Ishtar sakabatou Mar 2013 #9

And like how saints are concessions to (covert) polytheism. Bernardo de La Paz Mar 2013 #15

Yeah, we must have been pretty strong back then to get such concessions, tavalon Apr 2013 #30

classic correlation = causation fallacy. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #10

Boioioioioioing mindwalker_i Mar 2013 #11

The meme has the wrong goddess/ pagan holy day Marrah_G Mar 2013 #12

Pagan calendaring: Christians celebrate Easter based on the first moon after equinox. Bernardo de La Paz Mar 2013 #14

Doesn't work for several European countries TexasProgresive Mar 2013 #16

Who the frig cares, it's the vernal equinox and time to plant. xtraxritical Mar 2013 #17

Thread win WilliamPitt Apr 2013 #24

Alright! I always feel like a "scored" when I get William Pitt's attention. xtraxritical Apr 2013 #28

In all of the Christian burials that I know of, all bodies are buried so that they will arise facing DhhD Mar 2013 #18

Not only is Ishtar not Eostre, there's no known connection with bunnies, hares or eggs muriel_volestrangler Mar 2013 #20

It's actually named after Eostre AnnieBW Mar 2013 #23

Thanks for trying to keep pagan goddesses straight. Happiness from Equinox to Equinox! Hekate Apr 2013 #25

Well, whatever. It's still dogma of some sort. MissMarple Apr 2013 #26

I was unaware that Temple Harlots were required to serve. In_The_Wind Apr 2013 #27

Yeah, I've always known her as Ostara or Oestra, not Ishtara tavalon Apr 2013 #29

I'm pretty certain the pagan roots of Easter come from the old European Goddess Ostera Matariki Apr 2013 #31