The Myth of 'Cultic Prostitutes': Accounts of Female Temple Leaders in the Cities of Corinth and Ephesus

Abstract

This article analyzes the myth of sacred prostitution in the Greco-Roman world and proposes a socio-historical recontextualization of the Apostle Paul’s passages regarding female silence and submission in the churches of Corinth and Ephesus (1 Cor 14:34–35; 1 Tim 2:11–13). Traditional historiography has frequently relied on the alleged practice of cultic prostitution to explain these Pauline texts. However, recent historiographical and archaeological scholarship indicates that this concept stems from inaccurate historical accounts, primarily those of Herodotus and Strabo, as well as mistranslations of the term hierodoule. Through a methodological review of primary sources, epigraphic inscriptions, and material evidence, this study demonstrates that Greco-Roman priestesses did not engage in ritual prostitution; rather, they held positions of high prestige, economic autonomy, political power, and public leadership. The study concludes that the Pauline instruction for female silence was not aimed at curbing dishonorable behavior or rooted in cultic prostitution, but was instead a response to the context of Hellenized cities where the strong prominence of priestesses of female deities (such as Aphrodite and Artemis) fostered a sense of social superiority among newly converted women, necessitating the reaffirmation of a model of community mutuality.