The Ashes of the Red Heifer: On the trail of the holy cow
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HEIFER.ASC
October 21, 1990
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The Ashes of the Red Heifer
On the trail of the holy cow
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Vangard Notes >>>
In August of 1989, Ron and I had the pleasure of meeting
David Fasold at a conference in Denver. David has found what
is believed to be the original Noah's Ark, located
approximately 15 miles from Mount Ararat. The Turkish
government has now built a state funded park on the site in
honor of the archeological importance of the finding.
David is a fascinating man with many experiences to relate.
Among the many things we discussed were the Ark of the
Covenant and the Ashes of the Red Heifer. We are working on
a detailed article relating David's discovery. He has an
excellent hardback book out entitled, "The Ark of Noah". We
recommend it highly if you are interested in such
information.
In conversation with David, he mentioned that he was to go
on a speaking tour with Vendyl Jones, the original
inspiration for the Indiana Jones movie character. Vendyl
lives in Arlington, TX and David arranged for us to meet him
on the trip he made to Dallas in October of 1989.
Vendyl is head of a group "the Institute of Judaic-Christian
Research" which actively seeks to develop understanding
between the Jewish and Christian traditions.
Vendyl's lovely wife Zahava is a native of Israel and very
familiar with the areas of which the Qumran manuscripts
speak. One of the scrolls is made of beaten copper and is
over 7 feet long.
There is an inscription on the scroll which purports to
disclose the location of the Ark of the Covenant and the
artifacts associated with its use. Scholars had dismissed
the inscriptions as myth or legend having no basis in truth.
When Zahava read the text of these inscriptions, she
recognized some of the landmarks to which the scroll
referred. Her translations in addition to those of scholars
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in ancient Hebrew have pointed out definite areas in the
region which might hold these artifacts.
For many years now, Vendyl and his group have sponsored and
actively dug in the caves of this region in search of the Ark
and the associated artifacts.
Last year, Vendyl found a flask of holy oil used to annoint
the heads of high priests and kings. There is an ongoing
hope that they will succeed in finding these lost treasures.
The Institute operates a BBS at 817-346-1038 which reports on
their activities and is open to all.
The Ashes of the Red Heifer when found and mixed with the
ashes generated from the ritual sacrifice of a new red
heifer, will presage the re-establishment of the Sanhedrin
(Jewish ruling Council) and lead to the rebuilding of the
third Temple in Israel. The first and second were each
destroyed centuries ago.
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It has all the makings of a sci-Halacha thriller. A young Torah
scholar in Jerusalem enlists the help of a prominent geneticist in
Beit Dagan, an ex-Southern Baptist minister from Texas, and a
veterinarian in Sweden to unlock the secret of ritual purification
for worship in the Holy Temple.
But Menahem Burstin, a scholar who specializes in the Temple
service, insists that his search for the rare red heifer is not a
swashbuckling adventure: it is serious research aimed in part at
taking the fear out of such practices as animal sacrifices.
"My father taught me kodashim and tohorot (orders of the Mishna
dealing with the Temple service) when I was a child, so for me these
subjects were natural." Burstin said last week in his tiny book-
lined apartment in Jerusalem's Romema quarter. "But when I lectured
about the Temple - to ultra-Orthodox, national-religious. Netorei
Karta, kibbutz youth - I found that people were scared by the idea
of sacrifices and consequently scared of the rebuilding of the
Temple."
On the advice of leading rabbinical figures like Rabbi Zvi Yehuda
Cook and Rabbi Eliezer Schach, Burstin began researching the more
"esthetic" aspects of Temple service, like incense offering.
He consulted with botanists and painstakingly gathered herbs and
spices from all over the world to find the ingredients required by
the Torah for such offerings.
Later, his studies led him to explore the mystery of Techelet, a
bluish (some say violet) dye that was used in the Temple and that
was also prescribed for the fringes of the tzizit.
After nearly 14 years of researching the dye, which is produced by a
sea-creature called the hilazon, Burstin published a book on the
subject last year.
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At the same time, he began a worldwide search for the red heifer,
used during Temple times to "purify" those who had become ritually
unfit through contact with the dead.
The reasons for the mitzvah of the red heifer are not clear - King
Solomon said of it: "I thought I would have wisdom but it is far
from me" - but the specifications for such a cow are quite explicit:
it must be pure red (even two black hairs render it unfit),
must have no blemishes, and
must never have borne a yoke.
During his search, Burstin came across two herds of red heifers. A
South African herd was reported by Tzvi Katz, an Israeli researcher
who specializes in poultry. The cows, a brownish-red were crossbred
by farmers looking for a more sturdy breed.
But a more promising find was reported by Ronen Yahid, a student at
Machon Meir in Jerusalem.
"He is a hozer bitshuva (newly religious) Jew from a kibbutz in the
north, and was sitting in on a lecture where he learned for the
first time abut the red heifer. He raised his hand and told his
rabbi that he'd seen such cows on a visit to Sweden. His rabbi said
it was impossible, butthe student insisted that he had seen them,
and so he was sent to me for questioning."
Burstin was convinced that the student's report was worth following
up, and contacted the owner of the herd, a woman veterinarian, who
sent pictures of her red cows.
He said he would ask Stockholm Chief Rabbi Aharon Katz, who is
visiting Jerusalem, to inspect the cows personally to see whether
they are pure red.
But even if the inspections turns up more than two black hairs,
Burstin is confident that genetic engineering can produce a kosher
red heifer. "I have been in touch with Dr. Yehuda Waller of the
Volcani Institute, a world-renowned expert in breeding cattle, and
he assured me that if the cows' hair is mostly red there is a
possibility of improving them."
If the Swedish cows prove to be suitable, Burstin will import a
frozen embryo and implant it in local cows.
Burstin's goals are educational, not practical. He has no intention
of racing up to the Temple Mount with his red cow and declaring open
season for sacrificing.
In the first place, there remain some serious practical problems,
and in the second, he can't second-guess G-d's plans for a third
Temple.
"I don't have to do G-d"s thinking for Him," says Burstin, 33, who
studies at Mercaz Harav Kook in Jerusalem. "But I have an obligation
to study all the laws in the Torah, including those relating to
Temple service. This form of research is exciting because it brings
to life all the verses and the mishnaic and talmudic literature on
the Temple service."
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According to the literature, the red heifer is burned together with
eitzerez, eizov and tola'at shani (cedar-wood, hyssop and scarlet).
Burstin is convinced that he has accurately identified these items -
the scarlet, for instance, is a colour made from Crimson Worm - but
he lacks one vital ingredient: the ash of a previous red heifer that
must be mixed with the new ash.
The solution to this problem may rest with Vendyl Jones, a former
Baptist minister from Texas, who has studied in yeshiva.
Jones divides his time between running a religious centre in the
U.S. that promotes the observances of the seven Noahide laws, and
the search for vessels from the Temple in the caves of the Judean
desert.
"He is using the Copper Scroll discovered in 1952, which describes
the relative location of the vessels. It doesn't say exactly where
they are located, but at what level they can be found," says
Burstin.
"That scroll tells where the `kalal' is located, and the kalal was
the vessel that held the ash of the red heifer."
Vendyl, who has already located a vial of oil that was used to
anoint kings, claims that he has found the cave that houses the
kalal. But once he finds the container and, presumably, the remnants
of the previous red heifer, he must find a way to extract it.
"Once he touches the kalal it becomes tameh (ritually unfit), and it
loses its effectiveness," says Burstin. "I have brought him to the
chief rabbis and we are looking for a solution to the problem. But
we don't have it yet."
There are other problems (finding a ritually fit Kohen to do the
service, for instance) and possible solutions, but for the time
being Burstin is taking one step at a time.
Reprint, Fee Paid, Jerusalem Post
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Vangard Notes >>>
Additional information regarding the Red Heifer follows.
Quotes are taken from "The Holy Bible in Modern English" translated
direct from the original Hebrew, Chaldee and Greek languages by
Ferrar Fenton.
The verse relating the sacrifice of the Red Heifer is found in
Numbers under the heading THE NATIONAL SACRIFICE FOR SIN.
The EVER-LIVING also spoke to Moses, Commanding; -
"The following is a constitutional law which JEHOVAH commands,
saying; - Command the children of Israel to select for you a
RED HEIFER, perfect, and who has not a spot on her, which has
never been under a yoke.
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Let them bring it to Aliazar the priest, and he shall slay her
in their presence. Then Aliazar the priest shall take some of
her blood on his finger, and sprinkle the front of the Hall of
Assembly seven times with the blood, and burn the heifer in
their sight with its skin, and flesh, and its dung. He shall
burn it to dissolution.
Then the priest shall take cedar and hyssop wood, and scarlet
wool, and ashes from among the cinders of the heifer.
"The priest shall then change his clothing, and wash his body
with water, and afterwards return into the camp. But the
priest shall be unclean until the evening. Those who burnt her
also shall change their clothes, and wash their bodies in
water, and be unclean until the evening.
"Afterwards a clean man shall remove the ashes of the heifer
and place them outside the camp in a clean place, and they
shall be as a witness to the children of Israel to KEEP
THEMSELVES FROM THE IMPURITY OF SIN.
Now this is the procedure for creating what is termed a SIN-
OFFERING. The ashes yielded from this procedure are used for the
purification of what is termed UNCLEAN, part of which is specified
in the following:
1) Whoever touches the corpse of a man shall be unclean for
seven days. If he offers a SIN-OFFERING on the third day,
then he shall be clean on the seventh day; but if he does
not offer a SIN-OFFERING on the third day HE SHALL NOT BE
CLEAN on the seventh.
Whoever touches a corpse, - the body of a man who dies, -
and does not make a SIN-OFFERING at the sanctuary of the
EVER-LIVING, is defiled; and that person shall be
EXCOMMUNICATED from Israel, because he has not washed the
filth from off himself with water; he shall be unclean
while the impurity is on him.
2) "These are the laws about persons who have DIED IN A
DWELLING. All who come to the dwelling, and all who are in
the dwelling ARE UNCLEAN for seven days. Every vessel,
also, which is open, unless there is a lid upon the
opening, is defiled.
And whoever TOUCHES A MAN KILLED IN FIGHT, OR THE BONES OF
A MAN, OR KILLED ACCIDENTALLY, shall be defiled for seven
days.
You shall consequently take to the defiled person SOME OF
THE ASHES OF THE FIRES OF SIN-OFFERINGS, and put them on
LIVING WATER, in a cup, and take hyssop and dabble with the
water the man who is to be purified, and sprinkle it upon
the dwelling and over all the furniture, and over all the
persons who may be there, and over the man who has touched
the bones, or the slain, or the dead by accident, and
sprinkle the purification upon the defiled at the third
day, and upon the seventh day, and make a SIN-OFFERING for
him upon the seventh day, and he shall change his clothes
and bathe in water, when he shall be purified at evening.
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But the man who is defiled, and does not offer a SIN-
OFFERING, that person shall BE EXCLUDED FROM THE ENTRY INTO
THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF THE EVER-LIVING......Therefore this
shall be a PERPETUAL INSTITUTION to you; and for this
reason the filthy shall change their clothes, and who
touches anything filthy shall be unclean until the evening;
and all that touches him who is unclean, shall be unclean,
and the person he touches shall be unclean until the
evening.
It is interesting to note that the 2nd injunction states that the
ASHES FROM THE FIRE OF A SIN-OFFERING are to be used for the
purification and do not necessarily require the Ashes of the Red
Heifer.
The instructions for the actual burning of the Red Heifer end by
stating that the ashes are to be removed to the outside of the camp
in a clean place as a WITNESS to the children to keep themselves
pure from sin.
Another interesting series of instructions involve the proper
construction of an altar. This comes from Exodus.
Then the EVER-LIVING said to Moses, "Say this to the children
of Israel, you have seen that from the heavens I have spoken
with you. Never make for yourselves a God of silver, or a God
of gold. You shall not make them for yourselves.
You shall make an altar OF EARTH for Me, and you shall offer
upon it your SACRIFICES and your thank offerings, your sheep,
and your oxen. In every place where I record MY NAME, I will
come to you and bless you.
But if you make AN ALTAR OF STONE to Me, it SHALL NOT BE OF CUT
STONES, for if you carve with a cutter upon it, then it will be
polluted.
And you SHALL NOT PILE UP PYRAMIDS FOR AN ALTAR so that your
nakedness may not be discovered when you go up to it.
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Since the writing of this article, Vendyl told us that they
have indeed found a Red Heifer as perfect as called for in
the ritual. It was 10 months of age in October of 89' when
Vendyl spoke of it. One of the other requirements is that
the heifer could not exceed 4 years of age.
Also since that time, Vendyl and the rabbis have come up with
a solution as to how the touching of the Kalal (container for
the ashes of the red heifer) by the unfit can be avoided.
Vendyl's sons are studying to become Kohen and therefore
ritually fit to handle the Kalal.
There are many aspects of Jewish tradition which we find of
interest, especially those which relate to some form of
device, ritual or geometry. Many of the Vangard Sciences
include the use of geometries and devices to accomplish
specific functions.
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Just as a comment, a friend of ours from England worked with
a group involved with the Teslar (ELF) watches on a Jewish
device known as the Tiflin. The Tiflin is a device used for
ritual meditation and to assist the aspirant in establishing
contact with G-d. (Jewish tradition forbids the use of the
word GOD when written, thus the o is left out)
The Tiflin consists of a headpiece and an armband (for the
left arm), both made of leather. An area is provided in the
armband and headpiece to hold paper printed with specific
quotes from the Koran or other Jewish religious texts. These
must be written in Hebrew.
The left armband is attached at the heart level. The nature
of the text determines the purpose of the meditation. Our
friend said a test was done with the Tiflin using blank
papers or suitably inscribed papers in the Tiflin chambers.
When, unbeknownst to the operator, blank paper was placed in
the chambers, the energy field measured during the meditation
was extremely weak. When the Hebrew inscribed texts were
placed in the chambers, a powerful energy field emanated
during the meditation.
We do not know if tests were also done using different Hebrew
quotes although it would follow that the intensity and
"flavor" of the energy would be dependent on the nature of
the quote.
Another interesting thing is the Ark of the Covenant and its
use. There is every probability that the Ark somehow
functioned as a storage chamber for the life force of the
being which was sacrificed in its presence.
Ritual magic includes the sacrifice of animals and humans for
the purpose of releasing their life force. A properly
trained operator could then capture and redirect that force
for the carrying out of specific purposes.
Comments made by mass or serial killers include statements
that they get a "rush" when the victim expires. No doubt a
great part of this is the psychological thrill of being
dominant over a helpless victim, although the release of life
energy must play a part.
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If you have comments or other information relating to such
topics as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or
send to the Vangard Sciences address as previously listed.
Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.
Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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If we can be of service, you may contact
Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346
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