What Is A Harlot & Who Are Prostitutes Rahab, Mary Magdaline, & Gomer In The Bible
Harlots or holy women? You decide.
pexels Many are surprised to see that prostitution and sex work is discussed in the Bible.
Prostitutes are referred to as “Harlots”— a woman who sells her body for sexual use.
There are three female prostitutes in the Bible, and each served God in a specific way.
Rahab, Mary Magdeline, and Gomer, the harlot.
Mary was a best friend to Jesus.
Rahab was the grandma to King David, a direct descendant of Jesus Christ.
Gomer was the wife of the prophet, Hosea, and he was told to marry her because God wanted their union to be a symbol of God's love to an unfaithful Church.
Women in ancient times were lower than second class citizens, a prostitute the worst thing that a woman could be.
If that's the case, it's interesting that Rahab is considered a woman who was a great person of faith, right up there with Abraham and Moses!
What does the Bible have to say about prostitutes and women, and who are these harlots of the Bible used as a symbol for God?
The history entwined with each narrative behind these women reveal how power inevitably seeks sanctification.
Their relationship with God and how He honors their decision to follow Him reveal how tradition becomes authoritative.
Their presence in the scriptures show how revolutions are co-opted and being frail is reckoned with.
How God loves them reveals the way sweet devotion can be made to serve violent domination — all these cultural questions helped shape the story of the woman who befriended Jesus of Nazareth.
Even though they have a past, they reveal how men and women can separate sexual impulses.
Who was Rahab?
Rahab the prostitute helped two Israelites when they came to spy out the land of Jericho.
She hid them on her roof when the king came for them. When the coast was clear, Rahab let the spies down by a rope through the window.
Who was Mary Magdalene?
Truly a woman of her time.
She found ways to revinted her image throughout her life. She changed from a prostitute to sibyl to mystic to celibate nun. She is a feminist icon to the matriarch of divinity’s secret dynasty.
Each of these women are used to show how a person can change.
Their past is remembered, but it's also as symbol for sexual desire when domesticated.
It was dangerous to be with Jesus and many men left when he was captured, Mary of Magdala was one of the women who stayed with him, even to the Crucifixion.
She was present at the tomb, she was the first person to see Jesus come back from the dead, to deliver the good miracle to people and continue the Catholic faith.
It seemed that her status of an apostle was even on the bar with legendary men such as Peter.
This is due to her relationship with Jesus, which, according to some accounts, had a physical aspect that included kissing.
Her most memorable story was when she was a witness when Jesus turned water into wine at her wedding, the wedding feast in Cana. Her spouse was John, whom Jesus recruited to be one of the Twelve.
When John went off from Cana with Jesus he left his new wife behind, she collapsed.
She started to sell herself to other men.
Jesus refused to attack her, which made her change her heart. She then preached the word of god for the rest of her life.
Who was Gomer?
Hosea was a prophet who married a woman by the name of Gomer.
Some say that Hosea married Gomer and then God revealed to him that she was a prostitute.
It seems that god tries to put some symbolism into Hosea's life.
The lord can be considered as the husband of Israel, and the love of idols was like a prostitute.
His people acted wrongly just like a prostitute. When people decide that certain other sensations are more important than god it hurts him.
This is a story is meant to show us that God doesn't hope that we move out of sin, but that he loves us despite the hurt we give to him.
Steven Hall is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.