The kar.kid/harimtu, Prostitute or Single Woman? A Reconsideration of the Evidence, Julia Assante's 1998 article in Ugarit-Forschungen, argues that there is no Sumerian or Akkadian word meaning prostitute, that evidence often read as prostitution actually describes women without patriarchal status, and that there is no real evidence for sacred prostitution in Mesopotamia. Its strength is that it is peer reviewed scholarship offering a close reassessment of the primary textual evidence. Its limit is that it argues one contested position in an ongoing scholarly disagreement, so the older reading it argues against should also be checked to see the debate fairly.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Reliability tier 1: peer reviewed scholarship offering a close reassessment of the primary textual evidence, one contested position among specialists. NotesPeer-reviewed reassessment of the kar.kid/harimtu figure in ancient Mesopotamian sources, Ugarit-Forschungen, 1998.
Citation
AuthorJulia Assante
PublisherUgarit-Forschungen 30
Publication Year1998
Source Typepeer-reviewed article
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Sumerians directly: "The kar.kid/harimtu, Prostitute or Single Woman?"
Ugarit, Cities This source names Ugarit directly: "A Reconsideration of the Evidence, Julia Assante's 1998 article in Ugarit-Forschungen, argues that there is no Sumerian or Akkadian word meaning prostitute, that evidence often read as prostitution..."
Claims Backed By This Source (11 claims)
This source backs 11 claims across the atlas. As facts: 8 well-attested. As cited relationships: 2 holds. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Doctrines, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
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