How does one harvest the grapes of a bet peras? They sprinkle [hatat water] on the harvesters and the vessels [once] and then a second time. Then they harvest the grapes and take them out of the bet peras. Others then receive [the grapes] and take them to the winepress. If the latter set [of persons] came into contact with the former, they become unclean, This is according to the words of Bet Hillel. Bet Shammai say: [the gatherer] holds the sickle with sinew-rope, or harvests the grapes with a sharp flint, lets [the grapes fall] into a basket, and then he takes [them] to the winepress. Rabbi Yose said: When do these rules apply? [Only] in the case of a vineyard which subsequently became a bet peras; but a person who plants [vines] in a bet peras must sell [the grapes] in the market.

There are three [kinds of] bet peras: A field in which a grave was plowed may be planted with any kind of plant, But must not be sown with any kind of seed, except with seed [yielding produce] which is reaped. If [such produce] were plucked, the threshing-floor must be piled up in [the field] itself, and the [grain] sifted through two sieves, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the sages say: grain [must be sifted] through two sieves, but pulse through three sieves. And he must burn the stubble and the stalks. [Such a field] conveys uncleanness by contact and carriage but does not convey uncleanness by overshadowing.

A field in which a grave has been lost may be sown with any kind of seed, But must not be planted with any kind of plant; Nor may any trees be permitted to remain there except shade-trees which do not produce fruit. [Such a field] conveys uncleanness by contact, carriage and overshadowing.

A kokhin field may neither be planted nor sown, but its earth is regarded as clean and ovens may be made of it for holy use. Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel agree that it [a bet peras in which a grave was plowed over] is examined for one who wished to perform the pesah sacrifice,but is not examined for one who wants to eat terumah. And as for a nazirite: Bet Shammai say: it is examined, But Bet Hillel say: it is not examined. How does he examine it? He brings earth that he can move, and places it into a sieve with fine meshes, and crumbles. If a bone of barley-corn size is found there [the person passing through the field] is deemed unclean.

How is a bet haperas purified? They remove [soil to a depth of] three handbreadths, or [soil to a height of] three handbreadths is placed upon it. If they removed [soil from a depth of] three handbreadths from one half [and upon the other half they placed three hand breadths [of soil], it becomes clean. Rabbi Shimon says: even they removed one handbreadth and a half and placed upon it one handbreadth and a half from another place, it becomes clean. One who paves a bet peras with stones that cannot [easily] be moved, it becomes clean. Rabbi Shimon says: even if one digs up [the soil of] a bet peras [and doesn’t find any bones] it becomes clean.

A person who walks through a bet peras on stones that cannot [easily] be moved, or [who rides] on a man or beast whose strength is great, remains clean. [But if he walks] on stones that can [easily] be moved, or [rides] upon a man or beast whose strength is lousy, he becomes unclean. A person who travels in the land of the gentiles over mountains or rocks, becomes unclean; But if [he travels] by the sea or along the strand, he remains clean. What is [meant by] ‘the strand’? Any place to which the sea rises when it is stormy.

What do they examine? Deep drains and foul-smelling waters. Bet Shammai say: even garbage dumps and crumbled earth. Bet Hillel say: any place where a pig or a weasel can go requires no examination.

Colonnades are not [subject to the laws] of non-Jewish dwelling places. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: a non-Jewish city that has been destroyed is not [subject to the laws] of non-Jewish dwelling-places. The east [side] of Caesaron and the west [side] of Caesaron are graveyards. The east [side] of Acre was doubtful, but the sages declared it clean. Rabbi and his law court voted [to decide] about Keni and declared it clean.

Ten places are not [subject to the laws] of non-Jewish dwelling-places:Arabs’ tents, Field-huts (sukkot), Triangular field-huts, Fruit-shelters, Summer shelters, A gate-house, The open spaces of a courtyard, A bath-house, An armory, And the place where the legions [camp].