Why is prostitution called “the world’s oldest profession,” and is there any historical basis for that claim?

[u/Bubbly-Helicopter-27]

I’ve often heard prostitution described as “the oldest profession in the world,” but I’ve never seen an explanation of where this phrase comes from or whether historians take it seriously.

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Previous thread about this question with an answer by /u/itsallfolklore.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/s/EHg2Hu5QfL

[u/Feel42 → u/[deleted]]

Any source? I'm curious to exchange on evolution subreddit to see if this is considered tool use.

[u/EdHistory101 → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov → u/[deleted]]

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