 Under this system if the traveller does not have his cattle with him he must give valuables to the woman as a deposit until a kid goat is delivered to her.The woman in the story was not a legitimate prostitute but actually was Judah's widowed daughter-in-law, who sought to trick Judah into impregnating her.However, since she succeeded in impersonating a prostitute her conduct can be assumed to accurately represent the behaviour of a prostitute in society during that time period.