A group of Israelis have been seen practicing the ritual of the red heifer, believed to pave the way for the construction of a new Jewish temple on the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Middle East Eye reported.
According to Jewish tradition, the ashes of a completely red heifer are necessary for a purification ritual that would enable the building of a third temple in Jerusalem.
Radical Jewish groups insist this temple must be erected on the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock currently stand. They believe this event could herald the arrival of the messiah and potentially the end of days.
Journalist Yinon Magal recently shared a photo of Temple worshipers performing this ritual near the Temple Mount, stating it would restore purity and allow for the observance of temple duties.
In 2022, five red heifers were brought to Israel from a Texas ranch and are now housed near Shilo, an Israeli settlement close to Nablus.
The Temple Institute imported these heifers after an extensive search for animals without any blemishes, intending to use them in a ritual on the Mount of Olives to purify Jewish worshippers for activities at the Al-Aqsa Mosque site.
A Bar Ilan University professor’s research estimated that the ashes from one red heifer could provide enough cleansing water for 660 billion purifications.
Notably, the cow in Magal’s photo does not appear to be one of these specific heifers but rather a symbolic representation. The practice took place within Jerusalem’s Old City, near the Mount of Olives, suggesting preparation for the ritual in a historically significant area.
In Jerusalem, Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount has been prohibited under longstanding agreements, with Jews permitted to pray only at the Western Wall, considered a remnant of the Second Jewish Temple.
Throughout the past century, Zionist groups such as the Temple Institute have advocated for Jewish prayer to resume at Al-Aqsa, with some advocating for the mosque’s demolition and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple on that site.
