There is to be no kadeshah among the daughters of Israel, nor a kadesh among the sons of Israel.
[Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. If the kedesha and the kadesh are not pagan temple priests but temple prostitutes, as some scholars suggest, then what might this verse be saying about homosexual male relations?
2. According to Rabbi Ishmael, the verse in Leviticus only prohibits the active partner from engaging in male sexual intercourse. This is the source for prohibiting the willing passive partner's actions. If this a primary context for R. Ishmael, what does this say about same sex relations between men?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)