Leviticus 12

6–8 At the end of one or two months—here called the days of her purification (verse 6)—the new mother was required to bring a burnt offering and a sin offering to make atonement for herself. The atonement was necessary not because there was something sinful about childbirth but because of the mother’s generals in sinfulness common with all other humans. In order to be made clean from her flow of blood, this general sinfulness (sinful nature) had to be atoned for.

For those who could not afford a lamb, two doves and two young pigeons could be offered. This was the same offering that Mary, the mother of Jesus, offered when her won time of purification was over (Luke 2:22–24).