Hierodule

Hierodule is a term used in historical and philological literature to denote a female temple slave or temple servant attached to a deity. The word comes from the Greek hieros "sacred" and doulos "slave" (hiero-doulos). In ancient Greek and Near Eastern contexts, hierodouloi were members of temple staffs dedicated to particular gods, residing in or near the temple and performing various religious duties.

The activities of a hierodule could include liturgical service, ritual preparation, maintenance of sacred spaces, offerings, and other duties essential to temple life. In some accounts, hierodouloi have been associated with ritual sexual activities as part of cultic rites; however, such connections are contested and based on fragmentary evidence, and generalizations about sacred prostitution across cultures are viewed skeptically by many scholars. Consequently, the term is used with caution, and modern scholarship often describes the role of temple servants or temple workers in more precise terms tied to specific cults or temples rather than applying a broad label.

Modern usage of the term remains primarily of historical interest and is encountered mainly in discussions of ancient religion, ritual practice, or philology. It is less common in contemporary scholarship, which tends to emphasize nuance and the diversity of practices across times and places.