Red Hair & The Red Heifer

Back to longer posts now. This one is a passage about the "red heifer". I'll share the entire thing for the sake of context. It's also quite an interesting read in general.

It's from:

The Bible cyclopædia: or, Illustrations of the civil and natural history of the sacred writings [ed. by W. Goodhugh, completed by W.C. Taylor]. 1841.

"HEIFER parah, or rather parah adummah, "the red heifer," a young cow used in sacrifice at the Temple. Moses and Aaron were instructed to deliver the Divine command to the children of Israel, that they should procure a "red heifer without spot," that is, one that was entirely red, without one spot of any other colour, "free from blemish, and on which the yoke had never yet come," that is, which had never yet been employed in ploughing the ground, or in any other work. The animal was to be delivered to the priest, who was to lead her forth out of the camp, and there to slay her; the priest was then to take the blood with his finger, and sprinkle it seven times before the tabernacle; and afterwards to burn the carcass; then to take cedar wood and hyssop, and scarlet wood, and cast them into the flames. The ashes were to be gathered up, and preserved in a secure and clean place, for the use of the congregation, by the sprinkling of which ashes in water it became a water of separation. Spencer and some other writers think that the selection of this victim was in opposition to the superstitions of Egypt. The Egyptians never sacrificed cows, which were sacred to Isis; the Israelites generally offered males in sacrifice, but on this occasion they were directed to choose a heifer; it was also to be red, which is the only occasion on which any direction is given in this respect, a circumstance to which the priests of Egypt gave much attention*. Red hair was held in abhorrence by them, as they believed Typhon, the Satan of their religious system, to be of that colour, and to whom, according to Plutarch, they offered red bulls in sacrifice.

It is thought that a red heifer, under this law, was sacrificed every year, and the ashes distributed to all the towns and cities of Israel. But the Rabbins differ on this point, which is thus stated by Maimonides: - "Nine red heifers have been sacrificed between the delivering of this precept and the desolation of the second temple. Our master, Moses, sacrificed the first; Ezra offered up the second; and seven more were slain during the period which elapsed from the time of Ezra to the destruction of the (second) temple; the tenth, King Messiah himself shall sacrifice; by his speedy manifestation he shall cause great joy. Amen: may he come quickly."

With regard to not putting under yoke animals offered in sacrifice, it may be observed, this was a custom among the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, as they considered animals that had been made to serve other purposes were unworthy to be offered to the gods.

*Sir William Ouseley has with considerable ability discussed this subject, and shown that almost all over the East idols were painted or smeared with red."