Is being a prostitute really the oldest profession in the world?

Answer 1

I always thought it went assassin then prostitute. Well that's how I arranged the seating at my last dinner party!

Answer 2

probably.. think about it. What would men discover first when a new world is created..... their "equipment" or something else? Ok, they might look for food pretty quickly or shelter but that wouldn't turn into a profession as quickly as finding their 'equipment' would lead to prostitution in my opinion. Because professions only began in order to barter. Before money, a hunter would trade his excess meat for something else like fruit or something. Within tribes however everyone did everything for the benefit of the tribe, they only bartered with other tribes. And in my opinion as men would have found their equipment way before even tribes and there basic traditions existed they would have found some way to create prostitutes for their own benefit.

Answer 3

The concept of money is a comparitively recent development as far as humans go, but prostitution of some kind or another almost certainly existed before then. There is evidence of prostitution that has been witnessed in animal species such as penguins, so the concept is not an exclusive one to humans. It is therefore quite probable that early woman (or man) would have prostituted themselves in exchange for something they needed. There would have been no such concept as "marriage" back then, so sexual services must have been traded to one degree or another! If one person wanted to share another persons food for example, it only makes sense that they provide a certain service in exchange for it!

Answer 4

I'd say being a "hunter" or "builder" are older professions, since before we were even cave men, before we could communicate socially, our priorities in life were to find food and create shelter.

Back then women wouldn't have strutted around in a bear-skin skirt offering some pleasure in return for food/shelter or money (which didn't exist then anyway). Instead, the basic instinct would have been to survive by getting the food/shelter themselves.

Answer 5

I would have thought soldier rather than prostitute. I imagine that primeval man would have offered to fight in exchange for food and shelter while the women were won or traded rather than being in a position to negotiate for their favours.

Carpentry is a trade, not a profession and would not have existed until flint nappers made primitive tools.

Answer 6

A surgeon, an engineer, and a lawyer were discussing their professions. Each claimed that he belonged to the world's oldest profession.

The surgeon finally said, "Look, on the sixth day, God took a rib from Adam and created Eve. Therefore, God was the first surgeon."

The engineer retorted, "Yes, but before that, God created the heaven and earth from chaos and confusion. Therefore, God was the first engineer."

The lawyer got a big grin on his face and said, "And just who do you think created the chaos and confusion in the first place?"

Answer 7

If you are a Bible believer, it's farmer/park attendant, although Adam and Eve were not 'paid' for it. Whether you can call it a profession is open to debate. But if you are not, the earliest is probably hunter. They were paid through bartering their kill, presumably. It's very hard to be sure as none of us was around then.

Answer 8

Yes. First came the prostitute then came the lawyer to protect her interests.

Both professions 'solicit' for trade.

Answer 9

I agree with bats fan, possibly carpentry, although prostitution is a very old profession, it was around in the times of Jesus.

Answer 10

Oldest profession is a gardener/farmer