Chapter 18
On Purification
- The Red Heifer—Symbolical meaning of Levitical defilements and purifications
- The Offering for the First-born—The purification of the Virgin Mary in the Temple
- Purification for the Dead—Defilement by contact with death
- The Six Degrees of Defilement
- Death the Greatest Defilement
- Levitical Defilement Traceable to Death—Sacrifice of the red heifer—Preservation of its ashes, and use of them in purification—Symbolical meaning of this purification
- The Scape-goat, the Red Heifer, and the Living Bird Dipped in Blood—Analogy between the red heifer, the scape-goat, and the living bird let loose in cleansing the leper
- These Sacrifices Defiled Those Who Took Part In Them—Why was the heifer wholly burnt?
- Significance of the Red Heifer—Meaning of the use of the ashes of the red heifer—Rabbinical tradition about Solomon's ignorance of the meaning of this rite
- The Sacrifice of the Red Heifer—Selection of the red heifer—Ceremonial in its sacrifice and burning—Selection of one so free from suspicion of defilement as to administer this purification
- Children Used in the Offering—Children kept in special localities for that purpose—Ceremonial connected with the purification—How many red heifers had been offered from the time of Moses
- Purification of the Leper—Symbolical meaning of leprosy—Lepers admitted to special places in the synagogue
- Examination of the Leper—How the priests were to examine and pronounce judgment on leprosy
- Right Meaning of Leviticus 13:12, 13
- The Mishnah—Two-fold rites in restoring the healed leper—First, or social stage of purification
- The Second Stage—Second stage after seven days' seclusion—The rites to be observed in it—Rabbinical account of the service
- Purification from Suspicion of Adultery—The meat-offering at the purification of a wife suspected of adultery—Symbolical meaning of it—The priest warns the woman of the danger of perjury—The words of the curse written upon the roll, washed in water from the laver—This mixture, with dust of the sanctuary, drunk by the woman
- Regulations as Given in the Mishnah—In what cases alone the Rabbis allowed this trial—How the accused appeared dressed in the Temple—How she had to drink the bitter water—Divine judgments upon the guilty—Cessation of this rite shortly after the death of our Lord—Remarks of the Mishnah in recording this fact.
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