Brothel houses and shrine prostitution

Ashtoreth was a fertility goddess of ancient Canaan and consort of the infamous Molech, Leviticus 18:21

Raycol's comment prompts this follow-up post noting why it is hermeneutically sound to believe that the brothel house activity Ezekiel points out in Ezekiel 16:24, 31 and 39 describes shrine prostitution.

My reasons for pointing out the link Ezekiel makes between brothel house activity and shrine prostitution (sexual worship of false gods) are as follows.

1. In Ezekiel 16:2, God's prophet uses the word abominations, towebah, to begin his description of Israel's worship of false gods, the same word, towebah, which is used to describe the prohibited activity in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

2. Much of chapter 16 analogizes Israel's behavior with the behavior of harlots while also noting that Israel has forsaken worship of the true God, Ezekiel 16:15, 17, 28, 32, 35, to worship false gods.

4. Ezekiel links Israel's harlot behavior with what God had forbidden in Leviticus 18:3, namely, doing after the religious practices of Egypt, Ezekiel 16:26, and doing after the religious practices of Canaan, Ezekiel 16:29.

5. Ezekiel points out the adultery of ancient Israel in forsaking God for false gods, Ezekiel 16:32. Jeremiah mentions this theme and declares that God divorced Israel for her adultery.

"And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce..." - Jeremiah 3:8

6. Ezekiel 16:21 points out that Israel sacrificed her children, "thou has slain thy children" to "pass through the fire," direct references to Leviticus 18:21, which places the Leviticus 18:22 prohibition in cultural, historical and religious context, as referring to pagan religious worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess Ashtoreth (who was Molech's fertility goddess consort).

7. Ezekiel links Israel's idolatrous activity to the sins of Sodom, describing what really happened in Sodom, again using the word abomination, towebah, Ezekiel 16:49-50, which links at least one facet of Sodom's sin to idolatry and the prohibited same sex activity later described in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

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Brothel Houses + false religion

Did you ever read Ezekiel 16? Its a very interesting chapter because it explains what the sin of Sodom really was.

Oddly enough, according to the Bible, the sin of Sodom was not homosexuality.

Ezekiel16:24

"You have built also for yourself a vaulted chamber (brothel) and have made a high place [of idol worship] in every street." - Ezekiel 16:24, - The Amplified Version

"That thou didst also build thee a common stew, and madest thee a brothel house in every street." - Douay-Rheims

"That thou didst build thee a brothel, - and didst make thee a height in every broadway:" - Rotherham's Emphasized Bible

"that thou didst also build unto thee a place of debauchery, and didst make thee a high place in every street:" - Darby Translation

"thou hast buylded thy stewes and brodel houses in euery place: yee at the heade of euery strete" - Miles Coverdale Bible, 1535

"And thou bildidist to thee a bordel hous, and madist to thee a place of hordom in alle stretis." - Wycliffe Bible, 1395

Ezekiel 16:24, 31, 39 - the Hebrew word, gab, carries the meaning of "brothel house," a place where harlots prostituted themselves, according to Gesenius's Lexicon.

God's prophet Ezekiel, under inspiration, links the brothel house to worship of false gods.

This is important because of controversy over the meaning of Genesis 19 and Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

Some Christians believe Genesis 19 and Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 proclaim God's wrath against all homosexuals.

In my opinion, the more thoughtful and scriptural view is that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 only prohibit male same sex activity in worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess rather than being a universal prohibition of gay and lesbian partnerships.

Ezekiel sheds light on the issue by pointing out that Israelites who forsook worship of the true God combined their false worship with sexual activity in brothel houses.

That fits with the historical understanding that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 refer to ancient shrine prostitution, not homosexual partnerships which are committed, faithful, non-cultic.

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