5. If they did not find (ashes) of seven red heifers, six were sufficient,
five, four, three, two, one. “And who made them?” “Moses made the first,
and Ezra the second, and (there were) five from Ezra and afterward,” the
words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages say, “seven from Ezra and afterward.”
“And who made them?” “Simon the Just, and John the High-priest made each
two. Elihueni, son of Hakuf, and Hanamel the Egyptian, and Ishmael, son of
Piani, made one each.”
6. And a causeway was made from the Mountain of the House to the Mount of
Olives, with arches over arches. And there was an arch in front of the
last pillar for fear of an unseen grave. Over it the priest who burned the
heifer, and the heifer with all her attendants, proceeded to the Mount of
Olives.
7. If the heifer were unwilling to go, they did not bring with her a black
one, lest it be said, “they slaughtered a black one” nor a red one, lest
it be said, “they slaughtered two.” R. José said, this was not the reason,
but because it is only said, “That he may bring her forth.”(729) And the
elders of Israel preceded her on foot to the Mount of Olives. And a house
for washing was there. And the priest who burned the heifer was rendered
unclean because of the Sadducees,(730) lest they should say, “it is
needful for sunset to pass over him.”(731)
8. The elders put their hands on the priest and said, “my Lord
High-priest, wash once.” He descended and washed, and he came up and wiped
himself. And wood was set in order there, cedar and ash and cypress and
fig-wood smoothed. And it was made like a tower, and windows were opened
in it, and their direction was westward.
9. The red heifer was bound with a rope of bulrushes and she was put on
the place of preparation, with her head southward and with her face
westward. The priest stood in the east with his face westward. He
slaughtered the heifer with his right hand, and received (the blood) in
his left hand. R. Judah said, “he received it in his right hand and put it
into his left, and sprinkled it with his right hand.” He dipped his hand,
and sprinkled the blood seven times in front of the House of the Holy of
Holies. For every sprinkling of blood he dipped his hand. When he finished
sprinkling the blood he wiped his hand on the body of the heifer. He went
down and kindled the fire with chips. Rabbi Akiba said, “with
palm-branches.”
10. She burst and moved from her place. He took cedar-wood and hyssop and
scarlet (wool). He said to them, “is this cedar-wood, is this cedar-wood?”
“is this hyssop, is this hyssop?” “is this scarlet, is this scarlet?”
three times for each thing. And they said to him, “yes,” “yes,” three
times for each thing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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