Re: Oldest profession ?
weren't the earlier human beings hunter and gatherers? it's only after they settled down and started taming the cows and dogs did agriculture come into being. so it's still relatively new compared to hunting, or even prostitution.
I'm using the term "agriculture" very loosely... may be "gardening" would be a better term.
I think a profession is something you accept as a task in return for something that is valuable to you... and Faisal's given ample examples of barter based economies. So my premise is that Adam :Allaih: was assigned a particular task - to look after the garden of Eden... in return for God's bounties and favours.
So that makes gardening... Adam's :Allaih: profession.