Seven days before the burning of the parah they would sequester the Kohen, who was to burn the parah, from his house to the chamber in front of the birah, [in] the northeast [corner of the Temple], and it was called “the Stone House,” and they would sprinkle [mei chatas] on him on all seven days from all the chatas [ashes] that were there. R’ Yose says: They would sprinkle [mei chatas] on him only on the third and seventh days. R’ Chanina S’gan HaKohanim says: They would sprinkle [mei chatas] on the Kohen who burned the parah on all seven days, but they would sprinkle [mei chatas] on [the Kohen Gadol who performed the service] of Yom Kippur only on the third and seventh days.

There were courtyards in Jerusalem built on bedrock, and beneath them was a hollow, because of [concern for] a grave of the deep.  And they would bring pregnant women and they would give birth there and rear their children there. And they would bring oxen with doors on their backs, and the children would sit on top of them with cups of stone in their hands. [When] they would reach [the spring of] Shilo’ach, [the children] would descend and fill [the cups], and they would [then] ascend and sit on top of [the doors]. R’ Yose says: From his place [the child] would lower the cup and fill [it].

They came to the Temple Mount and descended. Beneath the Temple Mount and [its] Courtyards was a hollow, because of [concern for] a grave of the deep.  And at the entrance to the Courtyard was installed a jug of chatas [ashes], and they brought a male sheep and tied a rope between its horns, and they tied the [other] end of the rope to a stick and wrapped [the rope around it], and threw [the stick] into the jug, and [they] hit the male [sheep] which sprang backward, and he took [the ashes] and consecrated [the water], [using] enough [ashes] so as to be visible on the surface of the water.  R’ Yose says: Do not give the Sadducees room to hold sway [over us]; rather, he took [the ashes from the jug] and consecrated [the water].

. They would not prepare a chatas by means of a [different] chatas, nor a child by means of his friend.  And the children needed to be sprinkled; [these are] the words of R’ Yose HaGlili. R’ Akiva says: They did not need to be sprinkled.