Qadesh
/qaˈdeʃ/noun
An ancient Hebrew term for a male person associated with a sanctuary or cult, traditionally translated as “cult prostitute,” though that interpretation is debated.
Did you know?The Hebrew root q-d-sh also produced words for sanctification, sacred space, and the Jewish prayer Kaddish, showing how one root could span holiness, ritual, and taboo.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-d-š
“To be holy, set apart, or consecrated”
2nd Millennium BCE
Akkadian
qadištu
“A consecrated woman or female cultic functionary; the later translation “sacred prostitute” is disputed”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קָדֵשׁ — qādēš
“A male person connected with a sanctuary or cult; traditionally rendered “cult prostitute””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קָדֵשׁ — Qāḏēš
“A place-name meaning “holy” or “sanctuary,” used for several locations, including Kadesh-barnea”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Kades
“A transliteration of the Hebrew place-name and personal term in Greek biblical traditions”
Modern English
English
Qadesh
“A scholarly transliteration referring either to the ancient Hebrew cultic term or to the biblical place-name Kadesh”