Red HeiferThe birth of a red heifer, a breed thought to be long extinct, has renewed hopes of orthodox Jews in Israel that the Old Testament priesthood and animal sacrifices can be re-established in Jerusalem. The Book of Numbers required religious Israelites to sacrifice a red heifer as part of their ceremonial purification. The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. End time prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel refer to a time when such sacrifices are once again offered in a newly-rebuilt Temple, heralding the arrival of the Messiah. Ceremonial and moral law encoded in the Torah could again become a rallying point for Jewish religious, cultural and ethnic identity, just as it was under King Solomon, who built the original temple. According to Avraham Poraz, a member of the Israeli Parliament, "If the fanatics get ahold of [this] and try to take over the Temple Mount, God knows what will happen."
[Our information on this event and related prophecies is sketchy. If you are able to shed more light on the matter, we would like to hear from you. James Gregory]
