ut if a
vault was over the body, or if air intervened between the corpse and
the surface of the ground, it was regarded as a non-conductor. There
are reckoned six degrees of uncleanness--the father of fathers, the
fathers, the first, second, third, and fourth children of
defilement. There are altogether twenty-nine fathers of uncleanness,
of which eleven arise from contact with a dead body.

728 Some commentators explain that "each heifer requires a fresh lad."

729 Num. xix. 3.

730 The Pharisees asserted that a priest might be defiled, and that
after washing he was legally clean for burning the red heifer. But
the Sadducees maintained that he was not legally clean before
sunset. Num. xix. 9, 10.

731 Lev. xxii. 7.

732 The cedar, hyssop, and scarlet wool were laid parallel to each
other, and whatever portion of the scarlet wool remained too long
was wrapped round the bundle.

733 Num. xix. 9.

734 Or thick parts of straw.

735 If the vessels had been in the first row, someone might have touched
them, or some vessel might have come in contact with them, so as to
render them unclean.

736 Num. xix. 15.

737 It does not disallow the purifying pool if water flowed through a
crevice in the rock into the pool.

738 The principle laid down in this mishna is that if one merely carried
the rope for drawing the water, it was allowed to him to do so. But
if he used the rope for any work advantageous to himself it was
disallowed.

739 The modern Yebna (Jamnia).

740 The water is disallowed, because the man gained something for
himself during the act of drawing it. His intention was not
single-minded and pure.

741 Lev. iv. 12, 21.

742 Primary uncleanness arises from touching a dead body, leprosy, etc.
Secondary uncleanness arises from touching one who had primary
uncleanness.

743 A tertiary uncleanness follows from contact with secondary
uncleanness.

744 That is one over whom evening had not yet come, nor was his offering
yet made. Lev. xxii. 6, 7.

745 Gen. i. 10.

746 Isa. lviii. 11.

747 The river Jarmuk is the Hieromax of the Greeks. It falls into the
Jordan about four miles below the Lake of Tiberias. The Arabs now
call it the Sheriat el Mandhur.

748 The well of Ahab is supposed by some to be the source