In the ancient Yom Kippur service, what animal had a crimson cord tied around its horns? The scapegoat.
The scapegoat was one of two male goats selected for the Yom Kippur Temple service described in Leviticus 16. Lots determined which goat would be sacrificed as an offering and which would be designated for Azazel and sent into the wilderness. The latter became known as the scapegoat.
In the later Temple ritual described by rabbinic sources, a scarlet or crimson wool band was associated with the scapegoat, including a cord placed around its horns. The animal symbolically carried away the sins and impurities confessed over it by the High Priest. A separate red thread was also associated with the Temple ritual, which can cause confusion.
“Scapegoat” originally referred to this ritual animal, but the English word now means a person or group unfairly blamed for a problem. The ritual ended in its original form after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, because it required both the Temple and the High Priest.