THE LAW OF THE WATER OF PURIFICATION
The L-rd Said to Moses and Aaron: "This is a Requirement of the Law that the L-rd has Commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.[1] Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. While he watches, the heifer is to be burned-its hide, flesh, blood and offal. The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept for the Congregation of the children of Israel for use for the water of purification; it is for purification from sin. And the one that gathers the ashes shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening. It shall be a Statute Forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger that dwells among them." Numbers 19:1-10
WHERE ARE THE ASHES?
We know that Yeshuas' mother Miryam (Mary) offered a sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. Could such a sacrifice have been made without the ashes of the red heifer to cleanse the Priests? Never. Could the Messiahs' birth be marked by an offering that was not Torah-Observant? Never. Therefore, we believe it is plain to see by Scripture that the ashes of the red heifer were present in Yeshuas' day.
BUT DIDN'T SOMEONE SAY THAT JEREMIAH THE PROPHET HID THEM?
Some say that Jeremiah hid the Ark and the ashes. Based on what Scripture? Here is the Scripture some base it on:
And say unto them, Thus saith the L-RD of hosts, the G-d of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. Jeremiah 41:10
The word "stones" here is interpreted as being the 10 Commandments Given by G-d to Moishe (Moses) (thus the Ark also that contained them), They also also say Jeremiah hid the original ashes of the red heifer along with the Ark.
The Scripture however, says that this all took place in Egypt, and was a warning to Egypt that G-d would also have Nebuchadnezzar invade there as well. See Jeremiah 43:9.
WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYTHING THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR TOOK FROM THE TEMPLE?
Scripture says that Nebuchadnezzar took everything from the Temple and brought it all back to Babylon. It would have been stored in his treasure house. When G-d through Darius caused him to make the decree to return all the Temple treasures we find this:
And let all the golden and silver vessels of the House of G-d, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the Temple which [is] at Jerusalem and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the Temple which [is] at Jerusalem, [every one] to its place, and place [them] in the House of G-d. Ezra 6:5.
Here it suggests greatly that the ashes of the red heifer would be included among those "vessels", for without them, the Priests could not be cleansed, and the Second Temple sacrifices could not be done.
Again supporting that the ashes were present to cleanse the Second Temple Priests.
It is said the ashes of the Second Temple were destroyed by the Roman Army under Titus in 70 A.D.[2]
FROM THE MISHNEH
The original ashes (from Numbers 19) were stored in a K'lal or "bucket".
In the Mishneh, Tractate Parah, we learn that there have been a total of nine red heifers in Jewish history. The first parah adumah (red heifer) was sacrificed under the supervision of Moses; the second was prepared by Ezra (for the Second Temple); two by Shimon Ha Tzaddik; Yochanan, the High Priest also sacrificed two; Eliehoenai, the son of Ha-Kof was the seventh. Hanamel, the Egyptian burned the eighth. The ninth red heifer was sacrificed by Ishmael, son of Piabi. The tenth red heifer will be burned in the time of Mashiach (Messiah).[3]
In that same tractate, Mishneh 5, we find there is a vital condition of any purification preparations in the future. The ashes of any subsequent red heifer must be mingled with those of the previous nine.
In the days of the First and Second Temples, the ashes were divided into three parts. One part was given to the Levites guarding the entrance to the Temple. Another part was stored in the Anointment Hill (Mount of Olives). That share was used to purify the priest. It was deemed necessary should the priest need to burn another red heifer. The remaining third part was placed in a wall known as the chail which faced the Womens' Gallery of the Temple. A portion of these ashes were to be undisturbed as implied by Numbers 19: 9-10, "as a keepsake for Israel.".
From this Jewish source we find that any subsequent red heifer sacrifice must be mixed with some of the original ashes that were sacrificed in Moses' time. These ashes simply have never been found.[4]
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FOOTNOTES
[1
[2
There are stories circulating that someone smuggled them out in a wheelbarrow, but there were such a great many that this would have been relatively impossible. Especially when the Holy City was under total seige at the time.
From time to time, persons claim they do have them. Be sure to ask to see them! We have requested a few of these individuals and we have not heard back so far.
[3
Yeshua Fulfilled Numbers 19 completely. He was Sacrificed for us "outside the camp".
Yeshua Is our sprinkling and waters of purification. Nothing else can substitute now.
[4