חֲצֵרוֹת הָיוּ בִירוּשָׁלַיִם בְּנוּיוֹת עַל גַּבֵּי סֶלַע וְתַחְתֵּיהֶם חָלוּל, מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם. וּמְבִיאִים נָשִׁים עֻבָּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם וּמְגַדְּלוֹת שָׁם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶן. וּמְבִיאִים שְׁוָרִים וְעַל גַּבֵּיהֶן דְּלָתוֹת, וְתִינוֹקוֹת יוֹשְׁבִין עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן וְכוֹסוֹת שֶׁל אֶבֶן בְּיָדָם. הִגִּיעוּ לַשִּׁלּוֹחַ, יָרְדוּ וּמִלְאוּם, וְעָלוּ וְיָשְׁבוּ עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, מִמְּקוֹמוֹ הָיָה מְשַׁלְשֵׁל וּמְמַלֵּא:
Em Jerusalém, havia pátios construídos sobre rochas e, abaixo deles, era oco por causa dos túmulos das profundezas. [Pisar um túmulo humano causa impureza ritualmente, que pode ser bloqueada por um espaço suficientemente amplo entre o corpo e a cobertura; construindo um pátio sobre um oco, garante-se que quaisquer sepulturas que sejam profundas demais para serem descobertas não possam tornar impuras as pessoas no pátio acima.] Eles levariam mulheres grávidas para lá [esses pátios] e dariam à luz ali e criar seus filhos lá [para garantir que eles nunca se tornem ritualmente impuros]. Traziam bois e ripas nas costas [literalmente: portas] e as crianças sentavam-se em cima deles com copos de pedra nas mãos. Quando chegassem ao rio Shiloach, eles desciam e enchiam os copos, remontavam e sentavam em cima deles. O rabino Yose diz: Do seu lugar [em cima dos bois], alguém abaixava e enchia [o seu copo].
Sefer HaChinukh
And if you ask, "How we could ever find a man who had never been rendered impure by a dead body ever" - the Sages said (Mishnah Parah 3:2) that there were courtyards in Jerusalem built on rock [and] below them was hollow because of the [concern over the] graves of the deep. And they would bring pregnant women and they would give birth there and raise their children there. And when they wanted to sprinkle on the priest that would burn [the heifer], they would bring oxen - as their bellies were inflated - and they would place slats (literally, doors) on their backs and the children would be made to sit on top of the slats, so that there would be a 'tent,' separating between them and the ground, because of the [concern over the] graves of the deep; and there would be stone cups in the hands of the children. And they would be brought to the waters of Shiloach, and they would descend there and fill [the cups], as there was no concern there over the graves of the deep, since it is not the way of people to bury in rivers. And they would return and mount atop the slats on top of the oxen and go to the Temple Mount. And they would descend there and walk upon their feet, since all of the Temple Mount and the yards' underneaths were hollow, due to the concern over the graves of deep. And they would walk to the opening of the [Temple] yard and take from the ashes and place them in cups; and they would sprinkle the priest that burns [the heifer]. And the children would immerse due to the concern that they had become impure with another impurity. And all of these things are from the extra stringencies of the heifer. And it was burnt on the Mountain of Anointing (Mishnah Parah 3:6).
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