Editing Sacred prostitution (section)

===Sumer===
Through the twentieth century, scholars generally believed that a form of sacred marriage rite (''[[hieros gamos]]'') was staged between the kings in the ancient Near Eastern region of [[Sumer]] and the high priestesses of [[Inanna]], the [[Mesopotamian mythology|Sumerian goddess]] of sexual love, fertility, and warfare, later called [[Ishtar]]. The king would have sex with the priestess to represent the union of [[Dumuzid, the Shepherd|Dumuzid]] with [[Inanna]].<ref name=Day_2004>{{harvnb|Day|2004|pp=2–21}}</ref> According to the noted Assyriologist [[Samuel Noah Kramer]], the kings would further establish their legitimacy by taking part in a ritual sexual act in the temple of the fertility goddess Ishtar every year on the tenth day of the New Year festival [[Akitu]].{{sfn|Kramer|1969}}

However, no certain evidence has survived to prove that sexual intercourse was included, despite many popular descriptions of the habit.{{sfn|Frazer|1922|loc=[[s:The Golden Bough/Adonis in Cyprus|Chapter 31: Adonis in Cyprus]]}} It is possible that these unions never occurred but were embellishments to the image of the king; hymns which praise Ancient Near Eastern kings for coupling with the goddess [[Ishtar]] often speak of them as running {{convert|320|km|abbr=on}}, offering sacrifices, feasting with the sun-god [[Utu]], and receiving a royal crown from [[Anu|An]], all in a single day.{{sfn|Sweet|1994|pp=85–104}} Some modern historians argue in the same direction,<ref name="Budin3" />{{sfn|Assante|2003|pp=13–47}}{{sfn|Yamauchi|1973|pp=213–222}} though their posture has been disputed.<ref name=Day_2004 />