Two identical young billy goats were taken from the meadow and brought to the Temple.
The High Priest cast lots between the two, the one for a sin offering with the rest of the Yom Kippur sacrifices.
The other – and it is the hero of this story – to bear all the iniquities of Israel.
The High Priest laid his hands upon it and loaded upon it all the iniquities of Israel.
The people watched the priest eagerly, hoping for the young goat’s death and the disappearance of all the sins.
The priest tied a crimson string to the goat’s horns.
Henceforth the congregation will watch expectantly for the crimson ribbon to turn white, a sign the sins have been eradicated.
A fit man appeared. He was chosen to lead the goat on a long journey in the desert. Who is the fit man? His identity is veiled in mystery.
The fit man is charged with a heavy responsibility. He must ensure the goat survives the journey, will climb to the top of Mount Azazel and be sent to his death down the slope, lest the sins of the people not be absolved.
When they reach the top of the mountain, the fit man, who had become fond of the little goat, removed the crimson string from its horns and split the string in two. He tied half to a rock and half he replaced on the goat’s horns.
From there the fit man pushed the goat bearing the sins to its death.
Then the fit man looked down at the red string he had just tied to the rock.
Had it turned white? Had God cleansed the people of its sins?
A series of people who stood along the route and waved their scarves transmitted the judgment to the Temple. Guilty? Clean? Would joyous trumpet blasts be heard in Jerusalem?
Only upon the arrival of the news was the High Priest allowed to continue the Yom Kippur rites.
And the fit man? He will die before next Yom Kippur comes. Commentators say he touched such great defilement he could never be purified of it and therefore he had to die before the year ends.
And perhaps he died because in his innocence he touched the goat and felt the pain of the way of the world.

The series was created under the influence of Goya’s “Los Caprichos” etchings depicting

• social follies