Qalal

:"For the village in Azerbaijan, see Qalal, Azerbaijan."The Qalal was a small stone urn kept in the Tabernacle and later in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. It contained the ashes of a Red Heifer. The ashes were used for ritual purification of the Jewish people. Because perfectly red heifers were rare the ashes were constantly diluted with water.

The Qalal is mentioned specifically in the Mishnayot (Parah 3:3, Eduyot 7:5), Hebrew Rabbinic writings which describe vessels hidden under the direction of Jeremiah the Prophet seven years prior to the destruction of Solomon's First Temple, because the dangers of Babylonian conquest were imminent. The vessels that were hidden included the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle of the Lord, i.e. the Mishkan, the Tablets of Moses, the altar (with cherubim) for the daily and seasonal sacrifices (the ushebtis), the Menorah (candelabra), the Qalal and numerous vessels of the Kohanim (priests).