Paragraph 1: The topic of this article poses the question of whether homosexuality existed in the ancient world. In One Hundred Years of Homosexuality and Other Essays on Greek Love by David Halperin, Halperin, reflects the long and persisting controversy between sexual categories like gay and straight (Halperin, p. 41). The dispute consists in that the term “gay” is perceived as equally acceptable as the term “straight.” For this reason, Halperin exposes the positions of Essentialist and constructionist. For Essentialist, sexual preferences are determined by biological factors and sexual identities are determined by rational differences. Whereas, Constructionist, determine sexual preferences based on what has already been accepted in society,
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Winkler expands on Halperin’ opinion that sexuality in the ancient world was not defined as either homosexual or heterosexual, but it was based on an individuals’ preference of object choice. In the ancient world a person’s object choice was based on feelings of desire to have sex with either a man or a woman. More importantly, homosexuality was categorized through sexual inversions (Halperin, p. 15). Critics argue that the term sexual inversion was used to denote all abnormal gender behaviors, not just simply homosexual desires. In the 19th century, a person’s sexual preference was not directly associated with the cultural definition of sex-role, but it was viewed as a neurotic symptom that deviated people from their proper sex role. To expand on this concept, Winkler specifically describes this deviation through ‘Kinaidos.’ Male citizens that were penetrated by other male citizens. Winkler, proceeds to explain the connection between a man who is penetrated and homosexuality. He states that male citizens must always be the penetrators and never the penetrated. A male that is penetrated loses his masculinity and becomes a feminine male, and this is a homosexual …show more content…
For example; “Lev. 18:22 be another case of avoiding the mixing of otherwise defiling bodily emissions, as in Lev. 18:19-20, 23? Like menstrual blood and semen, excrement defiles in certain purity constructions, including that of Ezekiel, who is widely viewed as sharing H's purity system (in other words, Ezekiel belonged to the Holiness School).” (Olyan, p. 203). Clearly, Jewish culture perceives a menstruating women as polluted and everything that comes into direct contact with her. This similar reflects the concept of homosexuality in the Jewish culture. Overtime, pollution was not simply attributed towards pollution of the body and soul, but of the holy land of Israel as well. “In the final form of the Holiness Source, male-male anal intercourse may have been proscribed in order to prevent the mixing of two otherwise defiling substances, and thereby prevent the defilement of the land of Israel” (Olyan, p. 203). This demonstrates that homosexual acts not only polluted the body and soul, but also the holy land of
Winkler expands on Halperin’ opinion that sexuality in the ancient world was not defined as either homosexual or heterosexual, but it was based on an individuals’ preference of object choice. In the ancient world a person’s object choice was based on feelings of desire to have sex with either a man or a woman. More importantly, homosexuality was categorized through sexual inversions (Halperin, p. 15). Critics argue that the term sexual inversion was used to denote all abnormal gender behaviors, not just simply homosexual desires. In the 19th century, a person’s sexual preference was not directly associated with the cultural definition of sex-role, but it was viewed as a neurotic symptom that deviated people from their proper sex role. To expand on this concept, Winkler specifically describes this deviation through ‘Kinaidos.’ Male citizens that were penetrated by other male citizens. Winkler, proceeds to explain the connection between a man who is penetrated and homosexuality. He states that male citizens must always be the penetrators and never the penetrated. A male that is penetrated loses his masculinity and becomes a feminine male, and this is a homosexual …show more content…
For example; “Lev. 18:22 be another case of avoiding the mixing of otherwise defiling bodily emissions, as in Lev. 18:19-20, 23? Like menstrual blood and semen, excrement defiles in certain purity constructions, including that of Ezekiel, who is widely viewed as sharing H's purity system (in other words, Ezekiel belonged to the Holiness School).” (Olyan, p. 203). Clearly, Jewish culture perceives a menstruating women as polluted and everything that comes into direct contact with her. This similar reflects the concept of homosexuality in the Jewish culture. Overtime, pollution was not simply attributed towards pollution of the body and soul, but of the holy land of Israel as well. “In the final form of the Holiness Source, male-male anal intercourse may have been proscribed in order to prevent the mixing of two otherwise defiling substances, and thereby prevent the defilement of the land of Israel” (Olyan, p. 203). This demonstrates that homosexual acts not only polluted the body and soul, but also the holy land of