The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. They brought out for him the cup and the censer, and filled his hand full (of incense), and put it into the cup, the large according to his largeness, 2 and the smaller according to his smallness, and so was its measure. He took the censer in his right hand, and the spoon in his left. He proceeded in the Sanctuary until he came between the two vails dividing between the holy and the holy of holies, and intermediate was a cubit. R. Joseph said, "there was one vail only," as He said, "the vail is the division for you between the Holy and the Holy of Holies" (Exod. xxvi. 33). Outside it was looped up southward, inside northward. He proceeded between them till he reached the north. When he reached the north his face was turned southward. He proceeded leftwards near the vail till he came to the ark. When he came to the ark, he put the censer between its two staves, he heaped the incense on the live coals, and the whole house was entirely filled with smoke. He went out, and returned by the way of his entrance, and he offered a short prayer in the outer house, and he did not prolong his prayer, lest he should excite terror 3 in Israel.
2. When the ark was removed, a stone was there from the days of the first prophets, and it was called "FOUNDATION." 4 It was three digits high above the earth, and upon it he put the censer.
3. He took the blood from the mixer. 1 With it he entered to the place where he entered, and stood in the place where he stood. He sprinkled of it once on high, and seven times below, and he did not purpose to sprinkle neither on high nor below, but unintentionally, 2 and so he counted, "one, one and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five, one and six, one and seven." He went out and placed it on the golden pedestal, which was in the Sanctuary.
4. They brought to him the goat, he slaughtered it and caught his blood in a bowl. He entered to the place where he entered, and stood in the place where he stood, and sprinkled of it once on high and seven times below, and he did not purpose to sprinkle neither on high nor below, but unintentionally; 2 and so he counted, "one, one and one, one and two," etc. He went out, and placed it on the second pedestal, which was in the Sanctuary. R. Judah said "there was but one pedestal only." He took the blood of the bullock and laid down the blood of the goat, and sprinkled of it on the vail opposite the ark, on the outside, once on high, seven times below, and he did not purpose, etc., and so he counted. He took the blood of the goat and laid down the blood of the bullock, and sprinkled of it on the vail opposite the ark, on the outside, once on high and seven times below, etc. He poured the blood of the bullock into the blood of the goat, and infused the full into the empty.
5. And he went out to the altar which is before the LORD. This was the golden altar. He began cleansing it, and went down. "From what place did he begin?" "From the Northeastern corner, the North-western, South-western, and Southeastern, the place where he began with the sin-offering of the outer altar, at the same place he finished upon the inner altar." R. Eliezer said, "he stood in his place and cleansed, and in general he operated from below upward, excepting that which was before him, on that he operated from above downwards."
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THE HIGH PRIEST, IN LINEN VESTMENTS, SPRINKLING THE BLOOD IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
"For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."—Lev. xvii. 11.
PAGE 128
6. He sprinkled on the middle 1 of the altar seven times, and the remainder of the blood he poured out on the western foundation of the outer altar, and the blood from the outer altar he poured out on the southern foundation. This and that commingled in the channel, and flowed out to the Kidron Valley, and they were sold to the gardeners for manure, and they became guilty 2 in themselves.
7. All work of the day of atonement is described in order. If the High Priest performed one before the other, he did nothing. If the blood of the goat be sprinkled before the blood of the bullock, he must return, and sprinkle from the blood of the goat after the blood of the bullock. And if he had not finished the performances within, the blood was spilled. He must bring other blood, and return to sprinkle first from within. And so in the Sanctuary, and so in the golden altar, because all are an atonement in themselves. R. Eleazer and R. Simon say, "from the place where he stopped there he began."
127:2 The size of the priest's hands was proportionate to his stature.
127:3 That he had been struck dead.
127:4 Supposed by some to be the Sukhrah in the present Mosque of OMAR. From its position, however, it seems more probably to have been the foundation of the altar of burnt offerings. This sacred rock is 60 feet across and 5 feet high. It is pierced quite through, to allow, as some think, the blood of the sacrifices to flow off into the "Noble Cave" and the canals beneath it.
128:1 A priest continued to stir the blood to prevent its coagulation.
128:2 Or "as a thrasher."
129:1 Or "the clean place."
129:2 i.e. The gardeners became liable for a trespass offering.