And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he goats: one lot "For the L-rd," and the other lot, "For Azazel." And Aaron shall bring the he goat upon which the lot, "For the L-rd," came up, and designate it as a sin offering. And the he goat upon which the lot "For Azazel" came up, shall be placed while still alive, before the L-rd, to [initiate] atonement upon it, and to send it away to Azazel, into the desert. (Leviticus 16:8-10)

An integral part of the service of the High Priest on Yom Kippur involved taking two goats, one to be sacrificed and the other to be sent into the desert, plunged to its death, carrying the sins of the nation. In this abstract, yet somewhat figurative rendition, the two goats seem to share the same body. The tail of the goat on the left transforms into the horn of the other goat, his face dark and doomed. The goat to be offered as a sin offering appears more complete, as it rises, its blood to be sprinkled in all directions. The other goat has a deathlike appearance, its face turned downwards.

The painting conveys a sense of things breaking apart, of transformation, and of a new reality being forged by fire and blood. There is a kind of spiritual alchemy, in this process of transmuting the goats into another dimension, as the sins of the nation are forgiven through their deaths.