Thursday, March 8, 2012

IN SEARCH OF THE RED HEIFER



 by Molly Noble Bull www.mollynoblebull.com/


Cattle come in many sizes, colors and breeds. Some are bulls; some are cows. Some are calves, and some are heifers.
The dictionary states that a heifer is a young cow that has not borne a calf. As a ranch manager’s daughter, I always think of a heifer as a young cow yet to be bred for the first time, in other words—a virgin.


Moses wrote in the Book of Numbers, chapter 19, about the mysterious sacrifice of the Red Heifer. According to the Bible, this red heifer must be unblemished, without defect and one that has never been yoked. To be the Red Heifer, I understand that she must be born in Israel. Today, cattle are shipped around the world. It would not be difficult for a young heifer or an American bull to be shipped to Israel before the breeding process began.

Click below to see a photo of a red heifer born in Israel and learn more about these interesting Bible facts. http://bibleprobe.com/redheifer.htm

 


As I mentioned, I came from a ranch family. My late father and my maternal grandfather were ranch managers--real cowboys. I spent part of my growing up years on a sixty thousand acre cattle ranch in South Texas that we didn't own but lived on, and today we live near the world famous King Ranch.
In 1920 the King Ranch formed the Santa Gertrudis breed of beef cattle, and an exceptional bull by the name of Monkey was used in cross breeding Brahma and the Shorthorn cattle. The result was beautiful, all red, Santa Gertrudis cattle.

Some cattle are black or brown with white faces and all combinations in between. However, pure Santa Gertrudis cattle are dark red with no white hairs on them that I am able to see, and those dark red cattle are pure to the breed. Could one of the all red females one day become the Red Heifer mentioned in the Bible?

Only God knows. But Santa Gertrudis cattle sure do look like the red heifer bred in Israel. If you clicked on the website above, you know what I mean.  

3 comments:

Caroline Clemmons said...

I'm embarrassed to admit I had forgotten about the red heifer. I loved the photos, Molly, and appreciate the info.

Molly Noble Bull said...

Dear Caroline,
I'm glad you liked the photos. I hope you clicked onto the web address and read the other two articles. I didn't write them, but they are very interesting.
Love,
Molly

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I didn't know all that about cattle.