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The history of [[homosexuality]] is one that begins not long after the [[fall of man]] and the resultant harmful effects, with man realizing an Adamic nature, with a tendency to sin. Many Christian scholars believe that [[Ham]], the youngest son of [[Noah]], committed a homosexual act on his father,<ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/2Views/HomoViaRespNotesRev.pdf Notes to Gagnon’s Essay in the Gagnon-Via Two Views Book, #32, by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.]</ref><ref>The Bible and Homosexual Practice, pp. 63-78, 91-110</ref> while the latter was asleep, having been overcome with wine. Later, [[Leviticus 18]] universally outlaws men laying with men as with women, with this being a capital crime, (Lv. 18:22; 20:13), with an additional separate prohibition evidently forbidding homosexual religious prostitution. (Dt. 23:17) The context of these commands is one which invokes the practice of Israel's surrounding culture as an example of what not to do, thus evidencing that this was a pagan cultural practice. Additional evidence shows that homosexual practice was generally not outlawed in the Ancient Near East (ANE), and was certainly tolerated in that area and time in private as well as religious life.<ref>Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods, Jean Bottero, Univ of Chicago:1992, pp. 190-192</ref> Miller adds that in contrast, "Israel's God condemned this behavior in EVERY culture in which it was mentioned(!): ANE (i.e. Sodom), Canaanite and Egyptian (i.e. Lev 18:3), Israelite (Lev 18, 20), Roman (Rom 1), Hellenistic (I Tim 1.9), and Greek (I Cor 6.9)."<ref>[http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qamorite.html Good Question... Homosexual practices]</ref> For the follower of the Bible therefore, homosexuality is not new, nor unexpected, but neither is it justified, as God is seen giving man grace to resist and overcome sin. (Gn. 4:7; Ja. 1:12-15) See also [[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]
The study of the history of homosexuality attempts to catalog evidence of [[homosexuality]] from its earliest occurrences to the present.
==Terminology==
The use of the term '''homosexuality''' in the study of ancient sexuality has found some dissatisfaction, due to the lack of a term in ancient literature corresponding the the modern concept of persons who are consistently sexually attracted to their own gender, over the opposite sex. However, ancient literature refers to those who by their actions seem to have manifested such. The primary moral authority on the subject, the Bible, does not specifically refer to homosexual inclination, though it is reasonable to believe that the word '''malakos''', translated '''effeminate''' (1Cor. 6:9) in the [[KJV]] may denote homosexual "orientation." The lack of modern psychological terms for certain behaviors may also be explained as being due to the fact that the Bible does not justify inherently unlawful actions even if one has an inner inclination to do them, but calls and enables victory over such, (Gn. 4:7; Col. 3:5-8)
==Homosexuality in the Bible==
Homosexuality, as evidenced by homosexual acts, is manifested not long after the [[fall of man]] and its resultant harmful effects, with man realizing an Adamic nature and its tendency to sin. Many Christian scholars believe that [[Ham]], the youngest son of [[Noah]], committed a homosexual act on his father,<ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/2Views/HomoViaRespNotesRev.pdf Notes to Gagnon’s Essay in the Gagnon-Via Two Views Book, #32, by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.]</ref><ref>The Bible and Homosexual Practice, pp. 63-78, 91-110</ref> while the latter was asleep, having been overcome with wine. Later, [[Leviticus 18]] universally outlaws men laying with men as with women, with this being a capital crime, (Lv. 18:22; 20:13), with an additional separate prohibition evidently forbidding homosexual religious prostitution. (Dt. 23:17) The context of these commands is one which invokes the practice of Israel's surrounding culture as an example of what not to do, thus evidencing that this was a pagan cultural practice. Additional evidence shows that homosexual practice was generally not outlawed in the Ancient Near East (ANE), and was certainly tolerated in that area and time in private as well as religious life.<ref>Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods, Jean Bottero, Univ of Chicago:1992, pp. 190-192</ref> Miller adds that in contrast, "Israel's God condemned this behavior in EVERY culture in which it was mentioned(!): ANE (i.e. Sodom), Canaanite and Egyptian (i.e. Lev 18:3), Israelite (Lev 18, 20), Roman (Rom 1), Hellenistic (I Tim 1.9), and Greek (I Cor 6.9)."<ref>[http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qamorite.html Good Question... Homosexual practices]</ref> For the follower of the Bible therefore, homosexuality is not new, nor unexpected, but neither is it justified, as God is seen giving man grace to resist and overcome sin. (Gn. 4:7; Ja. 1:12-15) See also [[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]
==Extra-biblical occurrences==
The two most principal areas of historical inquiry which have been studied by historians in relation to ancient occurrences of homosexuality are [[Roman Homosexuality|Roman homosexuality]] and [[Greek Homosexuality|Greek homosexuality]].
The two most principal areas of historical inquiry which have been studied by historians in relation to ancient occurrences of homosexuality are [[Roman Homosexuality|Roman homosexuality]] and [[Greek Homosexuality|Greek homosexuality]].