The 22-month-old cow, which was brought to Israel from the United States, found a new home at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, where the biblical Tabernacle once stood.
In the coming month, two more heifers will be transported to the town, and a center will open there dedicated to researching the phenomenon. The heifers will be kept in a fenced-off area, and visitors will not be able to touch the animals.
The mysterious red heifer, or Parah Adumah, is first mentioned in the Book of Numbers, when God instructs Moses and Aaron to take "a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid." The animal is subsequently slaughtered, and its ashes are used in a purification ritual.
The discovery of an entirely red such heifer is a rarity. Jewish sources state that only nine were slaughtered in the period from Moses to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E.
In keeping with biblical law, the heifer put on display in Shiloh is completely red, and has never borne a yoke.
"This is an exciting and exceptional event for the entire Jewish people," said Ancient Shiloh CEO Coby Mamo. "We are already in touch with researchers and promoters around the world who are waiting to come here with large groups. We have returned to the site of the Tabernacle in Shiloh and are bringing back the Jewish past for the future of our people." READ MORE