(BA) qdšh

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qdšh is a Hebrew word of disputed meaning. BDB glosses it as temple-prostitute or harlot. DCH, however, indicates that the temple-prostitute reading is outdated, and gives the rendering "(female) shrine attendant".

Note that if DCH is correct in implying that the prostitution rendering is a thing of the past, then the NRSV and NJPS are still using the outdated rendering.

For a more thorough exploration of the whole issue, see

Westenholz, Joan Goodnick (1989). "Tamar, Qĕdēšā, Qadištu, and Sacred Prostitution in Mesopotamia". Harvard Theological Review, 82, pp 245-266 doi:10.1017/S0017816000016199