Decriminalizing Prostitution And Legalizing Brothels In The United States Do you know what is the world’s oldest profession? It is prostitution (“Prostitution” 669, Volkonsky 20). Academic American Encyclopedia defines, “PROSTITUTION [sic] is the performance of sexual acts with another person in return for the payment of a fee”. Since it is the oldest profession that the history recorded. The origin of prostitution came from temples in ancient time. Prostitution and religion were related to each other very closely in the beginning in ancient societies. Ancient people thought that if they had sex with a fema