General Discussion

Because clearly humans were farmers well before they were prostitutes.  And some might argue that they were hunters even earlier, which is true, however, I wouldn't exactly consider that a profession, it was more a necessesity in order to survive.

Is it because prostitution is a more titillating (no pun intended) subject and obviously makes the news a lot more than agriculture?  It may be the world's second oldest profession and because of our interest and/or abhorrence of the matter, has managed to steal the title.  But oldest...no.

Quite simple really....

Eve was a prostitute, she sold her body to Adam for an apple.  Doesn't get older than that.

Adam had the job of spreading the reaches of pardise further, worshipping god, and whatever else  :P

edit: before there was Eve, or even lilith if she exists in your religion.

because the belief behind that saying is this.

Finding a mate for ones own benefit is the most ancient of traditions, men pick beautiful women who are physically attractive and more likely to bear children. Women pick men who are more likely to be able to provide and live long enough to raise a family.

Both sides are trying ot sell themselves, and their bodies for something.

  Would it make you sleep better at night if they said it was one of the oldest professions ? Farming isn't really that old, I'm sure women have been selling their bodies longer than that since I'm sure figuring out what men wanted was much easier when they weren't wearing any pants.

It sort of makes sense if you look at it like this:

Hunting and farming were sustenance lifestyles for a long time, prostitution was the first profession that aimed to do more than survive.

Originally posted by pyrofreak

It sort of makes sense if you look at it like this:

 

Hunting and farming were sustenance lifestyles for a long time,  prostitution was the first profession that aimed to do more than survive.

well very technically speaking we were at first hunter and gatherers then we moved on to realise we dont need to move from place to place we can just settle down and farm in one area, and even then i dont think it was considered a profession because it was done to survive.  So if a woman wanted food from a buffalo a man killed she would have to give him sex therefore making her a prostitue because she does not love him she just wants something and has to give something in return in this case sex.  Yes you may argue that there are other `things` she could give in return but this is before we had developed brains and invented jewelry so if it felt good the man would give her what she wanted.

Originally posted by Zindaihas

Because clearly humans were farmers well before they were prostitutes.  And some might argue that they were hunters even earlier, which is true, however, I wouldn't exactly consider that a profession, it was more a necessesity in order to survive.

Professions means you get paid for your work.  Farmers and hunters did their trade to survive and the others they shared in a communal type of living.  You cannot barter a farmer with another farmer. Or a hunter with another hunter.

Prostitution was bartered without prostitution but with money and other forms of trade.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to envision some prehistoric woman offering herself to a male because he has food and she's hungry. To be honest, the first woman that did that was a genius.