sin
of idolatry it was sacrificed outside the camp; in fact, whenever
sacrifice was offered up in expiation of the multitude of sins, it
was all burnt outside the camp. Moreover, in order to show that this
sacrifice cleansed the people from all their sins, "the priest"
dipped "his finger in her blood," and sprinkled "it over against the
door of the tabernacle seven times"; for the number seven signified
universality. Further, the very sprinkling of blood pertained to the
detestation of idolatry, in which the blood that was offered up was
not poured out, but was collected together, and men gathered round it
to eat in honor of the idols. Likewise it was burnt by fire, either
because God appeared to Moses in a fire, and the Law was given from
the midst of fire; or to denote that idolatry, together with all that
was connected therewith, was to be extirpated altogether; just as the
cow was burnt "with her skin and her flesh, her blood and dung being
delivered to the flames." To this burning were added "cedar-wood, and
hyssop, and scarlet twice dyed," to signify that just as cedar-wood
is not liable to putrefaction, and scarlet twice dyed does not easily
lose its color, and hyssop retains its odor after it has been dried;
so also was this sacrifice for the preservation of the whole people,
and for their good behavior and devotion. Hence it is said of the
ashes of the cow: "That they may be reserved for the multitude of the
children of Israel." Or, according to Josephus (Antiq. iii, 8, 9,
10), the four elements are indicated here: for "cedar-wood" was added
to the fire, to signify the earth, on account of its earthiness;
"hyssop," to signify the air, on account of its smell; "scarlet twice
dyed," to signify water, for the same reason as purple, on account of
the dyes which are taken out of the water: thus denoting the fact
that this sacrifice was offered to the Creator of the four elements.
And since this sacrifice was offered for the sin of idolatry, both
"he that burned her," and "he that gathered up the ashes," and "he
that sprinkled the water" in which the ashes were placed, were deemed
unclean in detestation of that sin, in order to show that whatever
was in any way connected with idolatry should be cast aside as being
unclean. From this uncleanness they were purified by the mere washing
of their clothes; nor did they need to be sprinkled with the water on
account of this kind of uncleanness, because otherwise the process