Third: Turtle doves and young pigeons; the money placed in this chest was the price to be paid by those who had to offer two turtle doves or two young pigeons, the one as a burnt offering, the other as a sacrifice for sin.

The people were also required by the Law to make various offerings on their own behalf. Some were for sins committed, others for ceremonial reasons, and still others out of their devotion and thanksgiving. The boxes marked “Turtle doves and young pigeons” and “Burnt offerings” would be for such purposes. “Into Trumpet III,” says the book The Temple, Its Ministry and Services, “those women who had to bring turtledoves for a burnt- and a sin-offering dropped their equivalent in money, which was daily taken out and a corresponding number of turtledoves offered.” Likely this was what the parents of the infant Jesus did.​—See Luke 2:22-24; Leviticus 12:6-8.