According to the Encyclopedia Judaica: "In the ancient Near East, temple women, of whom one class was called qadistu, probably served as sacred prostitutes. Sometimes dedicated by their fathers to the deity, they had special statutes, and provisions were made for them by law (Code of Hammurapi, 178-82). Customs connected with them are likely to underlie Herodotus' lurid and misleading statement that in Babylon every woman was to serve once as a sacred prostitute before getting married , thus sacrificing her virginity to the g*oddess M*ylitta (I*shtar [=E*aster]); 1:199). In Israel the sacred prostitutes were condemned for their connection with idolatry. Dәvâr·im′ 23.18-19 forbids Israelites, men and women alike, to become sacred prostitutes, and states that their wages must not be used for paying vows…
"Sacred prostitution, because of its association with idolatry, was the object of numerous attacks in the Bible, especially in the historical and prophetic books (cf., e.g., Mәlâkh·im′ Beit 23.4-14; Yir·mәyâh′ u 2.20; Yәkhëz·qeil′ 23.37ff.). Terms connected with harlotry are used figuratively to characterize unfaithfulness toward [ha-Sheim] (bә-Mi·dәbar′ 25.1-2; Shoph·tim′ 2.17; 8.27, 33; Yir·mәyâh′ u 3.6; Yәkhëz·qeil′ 6.9; Ho·shei′ a 4.12; et al.)." (Prostitution, Ency. Jud., 13.1243-6).
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