The
Red Heifer in
Abrahamic traditionAbrahamic religions has become a popular and often used designation for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined...
, was a sacrificial
cowHeifer may refer to:*A young female cow before she has had her first calf.*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification.*Heifer International, a charitable organization...
whose ashes were used for the
ritual purificationRitual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity...
of people who came into contact with a corpse.
Hebrew Bible
According to : "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red
heiferHeifer may refer to:*A young female cow before she has had her first calf.*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification.*Heifer International, a charitable organization...
without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke" — in other words, the animal must not have hairs of any other color, it must be in perfect health, and it must never have been used to perform work. The heifer is then slain and burned outside of the camp (Numbers 19:3–6).
CedarCedar is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs , and share a very similar cone structure...
wood,
hyssopHyssop is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2-5 cm long. The...
, and
scarletScarlet or Scarlett may refer to a number of things or people:Things* Scarlet , a bright shade of red* Scarlet , a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England...
are added to the fire, and the remaining ashes are placed in a vessel containing pure water .
In order to
purifyRitual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity...
a person who has become ritually contaminated by contact with a corpse, water from the vessel is sprinkled on him, using a bunch of hyssop, on the third and seventh day of the decontamination process (Numbers 19:18–19). The priests who have performed the ritual then become impure themselves. The priest who performs the ritual must then bathe himself and his clothes in water. He shall be deemed impure until evening.
Mishnah
The
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
, the central compilation of Rabbinic
Oral LawAn oral law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or community application, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, or the single rule that is orally transmitted....
, contains a tractate on the Red Heifer, tractate Parah in Seder Taharot, which explains the procedures involved. The tractate has no existing
GemaraThe Gemara is the part of the Talmud that contains rabbinical commentaries and analysis of the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra) (from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...
, although commentary on key elements of the procedure is found in the Gemarah for other tractates of the Talmud. According to Mishnah Parah, the presence of two black hairs invalidates a Red Heifer. In addition to the usual requirements of an unblemished animal for
sacrificeKorban , in Judaism, is the term for a variety of sacrificial offerings described and commanded in the Torah. Such sacrifices were offered in a variety of settings by the ancient Israelites, and later by the Jewish priesthood, the Kohanim, at the Temple in Jerusalem...
, there are various other requirements, such as natural birth (Caesarian section renders a Heifer candidate invalid). The water must be "living" or spring water. This is a stronger requirement than for a
mikvahMikveh is a ritual bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
. Rainwater accumulated in a cistern is permitted for a mikvah, but cannot be used in the Red Heifer ceremony. The
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
reports that in the days of the
Temple in JerusalemThe Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Jewish belief, the Temple acts as...
, water for the ritual came from the
Spring of ShiloahPool of Siloam is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David now outside the walls of the Old City to the southeast...
. The ceremony involved was complex and detailed. To ensure complete ritual purity of those involved, enormous care was taken to ensure that no-one involved in the Red Heifer ceremony could have had any contact with the dead, and implements were made of materials, such as stone, which in
Jewish lawHalakha — also transliterated Halocho and Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions....
do not act as carriers for ritual impurities. The Mishnah recounts that children were used to draw and carry the water for the ceremony, children born and reared in isolation for the specific purpose of ensuring that they never came into contact with a corpse:
- There were courtyards in Jerusalem built over [the virgin] rock and below them a hollow [was made] lest there might be a grave in the depths, and pregnant women were brought and bore their children there, and there they reared them. And oxen were brought, and on their backs were laid doors on top of which sat the children with cups of stone in their hands. When they arrived in Shiloah [the children] alighted, and filled [the cups with water], and mounted, and again sat on the doors. (Mishna Parah 3:2)
Various other devices were used, including a causeway from the
Temple MountThe Temple Mount , also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary , is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem. Due to its importance for Judaism and Islam it is one of the most contested religious sites in the world.The Temple Mount contains the holiest site in Judaism...
to the
Mount of OlivesThe Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in east Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
so that the Heifer and accompanying
priestA Kohen is a Jew who is in direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron, older brother of Moses, with an honored status in Judaism...
s would not come in contact with a grave.
According to the Mishnah, the ceremony of the burning of the Red Heifer itself took place on the Mount of Olives. A pure priest slaughtered the Heifer, and totally sprinkled of its blood in the direction of the Temple seven times. The Red Heifer was then burnt on a pyre, together with crimson dyed wool, hysop, and cedar wood. In recent years, the site of the burning of the Red Heifer on the Mount of Olives has been tentatively located by archaeologist Yonatan Adler.
Jewish tradition
The existence of a red heifer that conforms with all of the rigid requirements imposed by
halakhaHalakha — also transliterated Halocho and Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions....
is a biological anomaly. The animal must be entirely of one color, and there are a series of tests listed by the rabbis to ensure this, for instance, the hair of the cow must be absolutely straight (to ensure that the cow had not previously been yoked, as this is a disqualifier). According to Jewish tradition, only nine Red Heifers were actually slaughtered in the period extending from
MosesMoses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
to the destruction of the
Second TempleThe Second Temple was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE. During this time, it was the center of Jewish worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the korbanot...
. Mishnah Parah recounts eight, stating that
MosesMoses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
prepared the first,
EzraEzra was a Jewish priestly scribe who led about 5,000 Israelite exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem in 459 BCE. Ezra reconstituted the dispersed Jewish community on the basis of the Torah and with an emphasis on the law...
the second, Simon the Just and Yochanan the
High PriestKohen Gadol or Kohen ha-Gadol is the title of High Priest of early Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
prepared two each, and Eliechonnai ben Hakkot and
Hanameel the EgyptianHanameel the Egyptian was a Jewish High priest in the first century B.C.E He was appointed by Herod to fill the office of high priest made vacant by the ignominious death of Antigonus . Hanameel was an Egyptian according to the Mishnah , and a Babylonian according to Josephus...
prepared one each. (Mishna
Parah 3:4)
The absolute rarity of the animal, combined with the mystical ritual in which it is used, have given the Red Heifer special status in Jewish tradition. It is cited as the prime example of a
chok, or biblical law for which there is no apparent logic, and is therefore of absolute Divine origin. Because the state of ritual purity obtained through the ashes of a Red Heifer is a necessary prerequisite for participating in any Temple service, efforts have been made in modern times by Jews wanting to rebuild the Temple to locate a red heifer and recreate the ritual. Most recently, a cow that was considered a potential candidate was disqualified because it sprouted several black hairs.
Book of Daniel
In the Book of Daniel is a reference to a Red Heifer. The analogy appears to relate to a partner of the returning End Time
messiahMessiah literally means "anointed "...
.
Christian tradition
The non-canonical
Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas is a Greek treatise with some features of an epistle containing twenty-one chapters, preserved complete in the 4th century Codex Sinaiticus where it appears at the end of the New Testament...
(7:4) explicitly equates the Red Heifer with
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. In the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament, both terms being associated with Supersessionism...
, the phrases "without the gate" and "without the camp" have been taken to be not only an identification of Jesus with the Red Heifer, but an indication as to the location of the
crucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. This is the thesis of
Ernest L. MartinErnest L. Martin was born in Meeker, Oklahoma on April 20, 1932 and died in January 2002. He became a controversial for his works on archaeology in Israel with respect to the Temple Mount, because he claimed that the site of the Al Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock incorrectly identified the true...
in his 1984 book
Secrets of Golgotha.
Qur'an
The
Qur'anThe Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam...
mentions the story of the Cow in the chapter
Al-BaqaraSura Al-Baqara is the second and the longest sura of the Qur'an. The chapter comprises 286 ayat and the verse 282 is the single longest verse in the Qur'an. The famous Ayat ul Kursi is also part of this Surah...
(The Cow), in verses 2.67–2.73. The story becomes the name of this longest chapter of the Qur'an. The Cow required at first was just a "cow". During the story, more restrictions were given, and the color of the cow is required to be yellow after Moses was needlessly asked by people to give details on how old it was, then on its colour, and then what it was used for, showing much reluctance to directly obey the command to sacrifice "a cow".
Temple Institute
The Temple Institute, an organization dedicated to preparing the reconstruction of a Third Temple in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
, has been attempting to identify Red Heifer candidates consistent with the requirements of
NumbersThe Book of Numbers or Bəmidbar is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah or Pentateuch.This book may be divided into three parts:#The numbering of the people at Sinai, and preparations for resuming their march...
19:1-22 and
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
Tractate Parah. In recent years, the Institute thought to have identified two candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002. The Temple Institute had initially declared both kosher, but later found each to be unsuitable.
Christians
Some
ChristiansFundamentalist Christianity, also known as Christian fundamentalism or fundamentalist evangelicalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among conservative evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to liberal...
believe that the
Second ComingIn most Christian theologies, the Second Coming of Christ is the return of Jesus from Heaven to earth, an event expected to fulfill aspects of Biblical Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment of the dead and the living and the full establishment of the...
of Jesus Christ cannot occur until the Third Temple is constructed in Jerusalem, which requires the appearance of a red heifer born in Israel. Clyde Lott, a cattle breeder in
O'Neill, NebraskaO'Neill is a city in Holt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Holt County.-Geography:O'Neill is located at ....
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is attempting to systematically breed red heifers and export them to Israel to establish a breeding line of red heifers in Israel in the hope that this will bring about the construction of the Third Temple and ultimately the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Some Christians believe that the Red Heifer is a type - literally used to remove defilement by the Israelites - but a type of the death of Christ which cleanses the Christian Believer from contact with "dead" people in day to day life; people who, for example, take the name of Jesus Christ in vain. These Christian believe the ashes of the red heifer, applied by the Holy Spirit (typified in the water) cleanse them from such defilement.
Modern Usage
The Red Heifer is the mascot for all athletic teams of
Gann AcademyGann Academy, or Gann Academy: The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston, is an independent, Jewish high school located in Waltham, Massachusetts known by its students and community by Gann, NJHS or New Jew...
, a pluralistic Jewish school in
Waltham-Horology:* Waltham Watch Company, American watch manufacturer, pioneer in the industrialisation of the manufacturing of watch movements** Waltham International, Swiss subsidiary-Places:In Canada:*Waltham, QuebecIn England:...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
.
The
NSBMNSBM is an initialism which may refer to*National Socialist black metal, a music genre.*Nederlandse Stoomboot Maatschappij, a Dutch shipping line later absorbed into Nedlloyd as the Koninklijk Nederlandse Stoomboot Maatschappij ....
band
Grand Belial's KeyGrand Belial's Key is a black metal band formed in 1992 by guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy and vocalist Lord Vlad Luciferian. Lord Vlad Luciferian was later ejected from the group due to internal differences and joined the formerly Norwegian band Ancient that had moved to the USA, using the new stage...
have a song entitled The Red Heifer.