Rabbi Yosei says, a ladleful of corpse-mold defiles by touch and by carrying and by tenting. Rabbi Shimon says, three impurities spread out from a corpse, each one of which defiles in two [ways] and does not [defile] in the third [way]. And they are: The tombstone, and the frame supporting the tombstone, and a bone the size of a barleycorn, [and] a ladleful of corpse-mold. The tombstone and the frame supporting the tombstone defile by touch and by airspace (=tenting), but they do not defile by carrying. And where [is impurity imparted] by carrying? By a bone the size of a barleycorn. A bone the size of a barleycorn defiles by touch and by carrying*, but it does not defile by tenting. And where [is impurity imparted] by tenting? By a ladleful of corpse-mold. A ladleful of corpse-mold defiles by carrying and by tenting, but it does not defile by touch. And so too would Rabbi Yosei say, an olive's-bulk from a corpse that was divided even into ten [pieces] defiles by carrying and by tenting, but does not defile by touch.

Said Rabbi Yehuda: There were six things that Rabbi Akiva had rendered impure but then changed his mind about. It so happened that they brought boxes of bones from K'far Tavi, and they they set them down in the open-air [courtyard] of the synagogue of Lod. And Theodoros the Physician entered, and all the other physicians with him, and they said, "There is neither a spine of a corpse or a skull of a corpse here." They said, "Since there are those that render [such incomplete corpses] impure and there are those that render them pure, we will stand up and take a vote." They started from Rabbi Akiva and he declared them pure. They said to him, "Since you had rendered pure what you had [previously] rendered impure, they will be pure." Said Rabbi Shimon, "[Rather,] until the day of Rabbi Akiva's death, he rendered it impure, and if he changed his mind after his death, I haven't heard of it."

The fat of a corpse that was complete and they cut it up is impure. [If] it was scattered around and they melted it*, it is pure, for that which is joined by human [agency] is not [considered] joined [for purposes of impurity]. An etrog that burst open, and they stuck it [back together] with a reed or a splinter of wood is not [considered] joined, for that which is joined by human [agency] is not [considered] joined. A marrow-bone of a corpse that was fashioned into the handle of a knife, behold, that is not [considered] joining by human [agency]. [If] one joined an olive's bulk of a corpse that had split into two, it is impure, and one need not be concerned lest it is deficient. An etrog that was cut into two is pure, and one need not be concerned lest it is deficient. A grain-offering that was mixed by five priests is fit [for the Altar], and one need not be concerned lest it is deficient. [If] it was transferred from vessel to vessel it [remains] fit. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says, if he apportioned it [among the priests], behold, it is disqualified. The equivalent of an olive's bulk from a corpse, and the equivalent of an olive's bulk of decayed matter, a ladleful of corpse-mold from two corpses join together with one another. A ladleful of corpse-mold: Whenever there is even a small amount of dirt in it, it is impure, and Rabbi Yehoshua renders it pure because it was neutralized.

A quarter-log of blood that was absorbed into clothing -- how is it measured? One brings a large amount of water and launders [the clothing] in it, and brings another [container of] water and pours a quarter-log of blood into it. If they look the same (i.e., the shade of red is the same), behold, it is impure, and if not, it is pure. Rabbi Yosei says, the earlier Elders say, from the downward slope and within, the house is impure, and from the downward slope and outward, the house is pure (see Mishnah Oholot 3:3). They came back and said, as to a slope, whether it is from the inside or from the outside, the house is pure. [If] the corpse is outside and his hair is inside, even though there is only the smallest amount under the tent, the house and one who overtents it is impure.

All fluids from a corpse are pure except for its blood. And all who see the blood of a corpse, behold, they are impure.

And what is "mixed blood" (see Mishnah Oholot 3:5)? Rabbi Elazar ben Yehuda says, one who was killed, from whom a quarter-log of blood came out in his life and in his death (i.e., while he was still alive and after his death). There is a doubt if it came out in his life, and there is a doubt if it came out in his death, and there is a doubt if [it came out both] in his life and in his death -- that is "mixed blood." And the Sages say, [if] the doubt occurred in a private domain, it is impure; in a public domain, it is pure. Rather, what is "mixed blood"? One who was killed, from whom a quarter-log of blood in his life and in his death, and it still did not cease [flowing], there is doubt if the majority [came out] in his life and the minority in his death, and a doubt if the majority [came out] in his life and the majority in his death -- behold, that is "mixed blood." Rabbi Yehuda says, one who was killed, who was moved onto a bed, and his blood drips out into a hole -- it is impure, because the drop of death is mixed in with it. And the Sages render it pure, because each first [drop] and every other first [drop] is separated [from the other drops; thus, every new drop is nullified] (see Nidd. 71b:1). Rabbi Shimon says, one who is crucified whose blood streams out, and a quarter-log of blood is found under him -- it is impure. And Rabbi Yehuda renders it pure, for I could say that the last drop had been "standing" on the wood [of the cross]. In that way, it comes out that you can say, there are three quarter-logs. How so? He received a death-blow, and he was quivering, and a quarter-log of blood came out from him. And they uprooted him [from where he was lying] under the presumption that he was alive, and moved him to another place, and a quarter-log of blood came out from him. [And afterwards they found him dead, and a quarter-log came out of him (GR"A).] The first is the blood of life, the second is the mixed blood, and the third is the blood of death. And what is the [practical] difference between the blood of death and the mixed blood? Rather, that [in regards to the blood of death] the nazir must shave on account of [touching it]; and they are liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects; [while in regards to] mixed blood, the nazir does not shave on account of it, and they are not liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects.

Said Rabbi Elazar: Originally, the Elders were divided. Some said, a quarter-log of blood, a quarter-kav of bones, and others said, a half-kav of bones and a half-log of blood. The Beit Din that came after them said, a quarter-log of blood [and] a quarter-kav of bones for terumah and sacrifices, [and] a half-kav of bones and a half-log of blood for the nazir and the Temple. Said Rabbi Elazar: When I went to Damascus, I found Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda ben P'tirosh*, who were sitting and deliberating about halacha. Yehuda ben P'tirosh says, "A nazir does not shave on account of a quarter-log of blood, and they are not liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects." Rabbi Meir said to him, "Let this be logically derived from a sheretz. Just as a nazir shaves on account of a sheretz, which is a light matter, and they are liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects, does it not logically follow that in regards to a quarter-log of blood, which is stringent, a nazir should shave on account of it, and they should be liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects?" Yehuda ben P'tirosh was silent. I said to Rabbi Meir, "Do not hold me in contempt [for saying this]. Are you familiar with Yehoshua ben Mamal?" He said to me, "Yes, and he was a master of m'lachot* ("laws") (Tosefta Nazir 5:3)." I said to him, "In the following way did he (i.e., Yehoshua ben Mamal) speak to me in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: 'Every [form of] impurity from a corpse on account of which the nazir shaves, they are liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects, and every [form of] impurity from a corpse on account of which the nazir does not shave, they are not liable on its account for impurity to the Temple and its consecrated objects.'"