The answer is: 40 days

Lev 12:2-8 - After giving birth to a boy, a woman was considered unclean for 40 days; for a girl, it was 80 days. This period included both the time of uncleanness and the additional days of purification.

In the context of Leviticus, the rules around purification following childbirth highlight the cultural practices and values of the time. For women, giving birth was both a miraculous event and a moment linked to a sense of ritual impurity, often reflecting the deep understanding of life and death in their world. The 40 days of purification for a boy versus the 80 days for a girl might raise some eyebrows today, but it gives us insight into how gender roles were perceived in those ancient societies.

Interestingly, this purification process has profound implications in the New Testament too. Mary, the mother of Jesus, underwent this very decree after giving birth, fulfilling the Jewish law in Luke 2:22. This connection emphasizes how Jesus and his family were deeply rooted in their community's traditions and how they honored those sacred customs.

Here's a fun fact: This period of purification led to the development of some intricate customs within the Jewish tradition regarding childbirth and family life. Interestingly, spiritual meanings often overlapped with the practical side of life, allowing many legacies and narratives to thrive through cultural practices.

The way this ancient text describes a belief related to purification also gives a fascinating glimpse into how notions of cleanliness and uncleanliness shaped daily life, reinforcing communal codes that even permeate through to modern times in various spiritual reflects and rituals on femininity and motherhood.