A crypt that is wide at the bottom and narrow on top contains a corpse. Someone who touches the lower part remains tahor; [whereas someone who touches] the up-per part becomes tamei. [If the crypt is] wide at the top and narrow toward the bottom, someone who touches any part of it becomes tamei. [If the crypt is] the same width [from top to bottom], someone who touches any part of it becomes tamei; these are the words of R’ Eliezer. R’ Yehoshua says, [someone who touches] from a handbreadth and below remains tahor; from a handbreadth and above becomes tamei. [If the crypt] is made similar to a chest, someone who touches [anywhere on the sides] becomes tamei. [If it is made] like a gluskos, someone who touches it any-where remains tahor, except at the place where it opens.

[If] a barrel is outdoors, resting on its bottom, and an olive-sized piece of corpse is either underneath it or inside [the barrel] on its bottom, tumah penetrates upward and downward, and the barrel becomes tamei. [If the tumah is] outside [the barrel, but] underneath its side, tumah penetrates upward and downward, and the barrel remains tahor. [When the tumah is] inside [the barrel] and under its side — if there is a cubed handbreadth inside the sides [of the barrel], everything becomes tamei, [ex-cept what lies] directly below its mouth remains tahor. However, if there is less [than a cubed handbreadth], tumah penetrates upward and downward. In what case does this apply? When [the barrel] is tahor. But if it is tamei, one handbreadth above ground, covered, or upside down, and there is tumah below, in-side, or above [the barrel], everything becomes tamei.