Leviticus 11:24-42

Second Prohibition. The dead bodies of unclean animals are not to be touched; scrupulous dread could hardly go further. The distinction is repeated from Leviticus 11:1, but a special list of unclean insects is given, corresponding to the list of clean insects in Leviticus 11:22. If the dead body, or any part of one, is carried or touched, the clothes must be washed, and the person remains unclean himself for the rest of the day. Utensils which touch the dead body are to be washed, and then they remain unclean the rest of the day; earthenware is to be broken. Water which may be used for drinking is not to be regarded as affected, nor seeds, unless the seeds have been moistened, and so spoilt. These regulations are plainly ruled by considerations of convenience, though the existence of the taboo is preserved. The touch of the dead body of a clean animal will cause uncleanness for the rest of the day, as the blood will be in it, and the blood is untouchable. The section closes with a prohibition of insects that creep (cf. Leviticus 11:29 f.).