In all history, when and where were the first laws enacted against prostitution?

albtucker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution#Legality It depends on what country you refer to. In The Sudan it carries the death penalty and in The Netherlands it is covered by tax laws. Sep 22 07, 10:36 PM

zbeckabee

A few quotes from the link below: "Avshalom Laniado, a professor of history at Tel Aviv University, translated for Zmanim four Greek laws pertaining to prostitution from the early Roman Empire. The laws suggest officials targeted pimps, not prostitutes." "According to the review, leaders spoke out against prostitution in the Biblical world, but prostitutes rarely were punished. Adultery appears to have been viewed as the greater evil." http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00001110.html Sep 23 07, 4:35 AM

MonkeyOnALeash

Check the book of Leviticus or Talmudic Law. "19:29 Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness." 1446 B.C. ? http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2019:29;%20Deuteronomy%2023:17 Whats more.... "Lev 23:17 No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute." http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2019:29;%20Deuteronomy%2023:17 Sep 23 07, 6:12 AM

Arpeggionist

So the written moral and legal codes of ancient Israel had laws against certain types of prostitution. The Bible also suggests that some ancient peoples had their own laws regarding prostitution as a capital offense (Tamar was on the way to being burned as a prostitute in Genesis 38 before being pardoned). So has anyone checked the Hammurabi Code for the laws of prostitution? Sep 23 07, 7:33 AM

lanfranco

This is quite an interesting site, offering a timeline of laws. Ancient law does seem to have been more concerned with regulating prostitution than with banning it. Dress, taxes, and keeping "nice" women out of the profession were the issues. If this site is correct, the first outright prohibitions occur in the 6th century CE, seemingly under the influence of Christianity. Quite late. http://www.prostitutionprocon.org/history.htm Sep 23 07, 8:33 AM