Levite

Levites carrying the Tabernacle through the wilderness

In the Jewish tradition, a Levite ("Attached") is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. The Levites were the only one of the Israelite tribes who received cities but no tribal land when Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan. The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well. In return, the landed tribes were expected to give tithe to the Levites, particularly the tithe known as the Maaser Rishon or Levite Tithe.

In the Bible

The tribe is named after Levi, the thrid son of Jacob, through Leah. Levi was one of the sons of Jacob who avanged the rape of their sister Dinah by murdering the male residents of Shechem after the Shechemites had been circumcised as a condition for their prince—who had earlier defiled Dinah—to marry into Jacob's family. Levi himself had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Genesis 46:11). Kohath's son Amram was the father of Miriam, Aaron and Moses.

File:Ark-jordan.jpg

Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant across the Jornan.

The descendants of Aaron—the Kohanim—had a special role as priests of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. The other Levites were not allowed to minister directly in the performance of sacrificial offerings at the central shrine, but assisted the Kohanim in various other ways. They were divided into three groups based on their lineage: the or Gershonites, the or Kohathites, and the Merarites. Each division filled different roles in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple services.

Origins of the Levitical office

After the Israelites left Egypt, God appointed Aaron and his sons to priests. Later, the Levites were appointed to assist them. Beside their obvious tribal connection to the family of Moses and Aaron, the Levites had shown their loyalty by following Moses' command to slaughter their fellow Israelites after the affair with the golden calf (Exodus 32:25-29):

Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."

The Levites' sacred role is mentioned in various passages of the Torah. The first chapters of the Book of Numbers, after enumerating the functions of the sons of Aaron, states: "Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle... Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death."

The Levites were consecrated to this service in ceremonies described in Numbers 8:5-22. The Levites also had the duty of carromh the Tabernacle and its utensils and to keep guard about the sanctuary lest any unathorized person should infringe on its sacred confines. They were allowed to perform their functions only after reaching 30 years of age.

After entering Canaan

In the distribution of the Land of Chanaan the Levite did not receive an allotment of land as did the other tribes, as they were to serve as priests and teachers local shrines, throughout the land until a central sanctuary would be created. Genesis 49:5-7, however, indicates a different reason for the Levite's dispersal, relating back to their ancestor's violent act in regard to the Shechemites:

Levites receiving their assignments from a priest.

Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence.

Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly,

for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel!

I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

The prevailing explanation, however, is that the Levites were set aside to play a positive and essential role attending local altars to Yahweh, since no central shrine yet existed. In the words of Joshua 13:33: "To the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them."

To provide for their livelihood, the Levites received tithes of the local harvests and cattle: "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting." (Numbers 18:21) They also received as pasturelands on which to grave their own herds (Joshua 21). The Levitical system is described in much detail in the Pentateuch, Joshua, and the Books of Chronicles. Although portrayed as originating with Moses, most scholars agree that the system was in fact the result of a long process of development.

The principle Levite roles in the Temple included singing psalms during Temple services, performing construction and maintenance for the Temple, serving as guards, and assisting the Kohanim in their priestly duties. Levites also served as teachers and judges, maintaining cities of refuge in Biblical times. The Book of Ezra reports that the Levites were responsible for the construction of the Second Temple and also translated and explained the Torah to the people when it was publicly read.

During the period of kings

The biblical account tells of several movements in which the Levites played an important role in educating the local population and supporting the Aaronic priests functions of the Temple of Jerualem. 2 Chron. 11 describes the Levites as sided with the southern king Rehoboam of Judah against the new northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam I: "The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord." (2 Chron. 11:4) Jehoshaphat of Judah reportedly sent Levites out to teach the law of Moses to the population (2 Chron. 17). Later, he appoint some of them as judges in Jerusalem under the chief priest Amariah (2 Chron. 19). The later high priest Jehoiada was supported by Levites in his violent coup against the pro-BaalistQueen Athaliah of Judah, successfully establishing the boy-king Joash on the throne in her place (2 Chronicles 24).

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Hezekiah purges the Temple

Levites were essential in King Hezekiah's reform of purging Temple of Jerusalem of allegedly idolatrous furnishings (2 Chronicles 29), probably including the bronze serpent which Moses had made (2 Kings 18:4).

A particularly important reform took place several generations later under King Josiah (late sixth century B.C.E.). The reform is thought by most modern scholars to conform with regulations regarding the Levites in the Book of Deuteronomy, usually considered to have been written during Josiah's reign. According to 2 Kings 22:

Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates—-at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate. Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

After the exile

While Josiah's reforms did not last past his own reign, after the Babylonian exile, they became the basic standard. Levites no longer offered sacrifices at local shrines and high place, but served only in Jerusalem as assistants to the official priesthood. The Book of Chronicles, written shortly after the return from Babylon, particular emphasizes the role of these "Levite priests."

Levites are mentioned three times in the New Testament (Luke 10:32; John 1:19; Acts 4:36). However, these reference shed little light on their role during the period in question.

After the fall of the Temple of Jerusalem, the Levites, like the official Aaronic priesthood, diminished quickly in significance. The rabbinical movement of the Pharisees, meanwhile, immediately rose to prominence and became the primary spiritual authority of the Jewish community through the development of the Talumdic tradition. Some among the Orthodox commnity still hope for a restoration of the Levite and Kohamim, which would be contingent on the rebuilding of the Temple of Jersualem, without which their role is essentially mooted.

Deutermony 18:6-8 seems to give the legal basis for Josiah's policy when it states: "If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions."

Critical views

The process by which the Levites came to fulfill their function as assistants to the Aaronic priesthood is the subject of much scholarly debate. Biblical literalists insist that the history of the Levites is just as the Bible describes it: they served the sons of Aaron in the wilderness in the days of the Tabernacle; they settled among the diverse tribes after the conquest of Canaan; and they gradually came to Jerusalem after the establishment of the Temple.

Some biblical critics agree with this basic scenario, adding mainly that centralization of the Levites in Jerusalem was not necessarily a voluntary matter. Indeed, the Book of Kings seems to describe a situation in which those who refused to stop offering sacrifices at local altars would face serious consequences. Moreover the Book of Chronicles portrays a much more definite role for the Levites during the period of the kings, while in the Book of Kings their role is hardly mentioned.

A more radical viewpoint suggests that the Levites may in fact have been rivals to the Jerusalem priesthood who resisted the Temple's claim to be the only authorized sanctuary of Yawheh. In this scenario, those who responded to the Deuteronomic reform of Josiah's reign were deemed true "Levites," while those who refused might even be exectuted as idolatrous priests. It could also be that the reason for the Levites' not receiving an inheritance with the other tribes is that they were actually already living in the land when the Aaronic priesthood migrated to Canaan. In this scenrio they would represent the native proto-Israelite traditions of worship at local shrines and high places, while the Aaronic priesthood represented the "Jerusalem only" tradition. Some also question the account in Chronicles which portrays the northern Levites as defecting en masse to Rehoboam after Jeroboam's schism.

In contemporary Jewish practice

Today, Levites in Orthodox Judaism continue to have additional rights and obligations compared to lay people, although these responsibilities have diminished with the destruction of the Temple. For instance, Kohanim are eligible to be called to the Torah first, followed by the Levites. Levites also provide assistance to the Kohanim, particularly washing their hands, before the Kohanim recite the Priestly Blessing. They also do not participate in the Pidyon Haben (redemption of the firstborn) ceremony, because they are traditionally pledged to Divine service. Conservative Judaism recognizes Levites as having special status, but not all Conservative congregations call Kohanim and Levites to the first and second reading of the Torah, and many no longer perform rituals such as the Priestly Blessing and Pidyon Haben in which kohanim and Levites have a special role. Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism have generally abolished all Biblical caste distinctions.

Some adherents of Orthodox Judaism believe in the eventual rebuilding of a Temple in Jerusalem and a resumption of the Levitical role. Some have even founded schools to train priests and Levites in their respective roles. Some Conservative Jews also belive in a future restoration of the Temple and in some special role for Levites, although not the ancient sacrificial system as previously practiced. Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism do not hope for a future Temple at all, believing that God's covenant is fully present without it.

Bat Levi

A Bat Levi (daughter of a Levite) is recognized as having lineal sanctity in both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, stemming from her traditional eligibility to receive proceeds of the Levitical tithe (Maaser Rishon). In both Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism, children of a Bat Levi, regardless of her marital status or husband's tribe, retain their traditional exemption from the requirement of being redeemed through the Pidyon HaBen ceremony because of this lineal sanctity.

Conservative Judaism permits a Bat Levi to perform essentially all the rituals a male Levi would perform, including being called to the Torah for the Levite aliyah in those Conservative synagogues which have both retained traditional tribal roles and modified traditional gender roles.

Reliability of status

Because genealogical records dating back to biblical times do not exist, Levitical status is generally determined by oral tradition, passed from father to son, with children being Levites if their father and grandfather was. Jews have relied on oral traditions in the past, for example, the Oral Law was once passed by oral tradition before it was written down. However, it is difficult to know if all those who claim Levitical status are true Levite, and certainly many who might hold that status genetically are unable to claim it when one generation simply does not affirm it to the next because of secularization, temmporary conversion to Christianity, or the early death of a father before he can pass on the tradition to his son, etc.

Family name

Some Levites have adopted a related last name to signify their status. Because of diverse geographical locations, the names have several variations:

• Levi, Lévy - Hebrew for "Levite," equally common in Ashkenazic and Sephardic groups.
• HaLevi, Halevi and Halevy are Hebrew language and all translate to "the Levi" or "the Levite."
• Levin - a Russian variation, also Levine or Lavine (pronounced \le-°vēn\, rhyming with "ravine" or in some cases, americanized as \lə-°vīn\ rhyming with "divine") and Lewin a Polish variation. Sometimes supplemented with German 'thal' (valley) to Levinthal or Leventhal and -sohn and -son to Levinson or Levinsohn as a patronymic, and with slavic -ski and -sky suffixes Levinski, Levinsky, Lewinski and Lewinsky (the 'e' often replaced with 'a' in German areas).
• Lewicki Polish "of the Levites," also Lewicka, Lewycka, Lewycki, Lewycky, Lewicky, Levicki, Levicky (can also originate from placenames in Poland).
• Lewita Polish "Levite" or Levita latinized, with Slavic suffix -an/in Lewitan, Levitan, Levitin, Lewitin, and with additional suffix -ski/sky Levitanski, Lewitanski, Levitansky, also Lewitas, Levitas, Belarusian.
• Variants from yiddish "Leyvik," a pet form of Leyvi: Levitch Ukrainian variant, also Levicz, Levis, Levitz, Lewicz, Lewitz, Lewis, and with -ski and -sky suffixes Leviczky, Levitski, Levitsky, Lewitski and Lewitsky ('e' and 's' often replaced with 'a' and 'z' in German areas).
• Loewy, Löwi, Löwy, and Loewe German or Swiss variations (although the usual origin for these names is Loewe, the German word for "lion").
• Leevi - a Finnish variation.

Having a last name of Levi or a related term does not necessarily mean a person is a Levite, and many Levites do not have such last names. In traditional Judaism, tribal status is determined by patrilineal descent, so a child whose biological father is a Levite is a Levite (in cases of adoption or artificial insemination, status is determined by the genetic father). Because Jewish status is traditionally determined by matrilineal descent, conferring levitical status on children requires both biological parents to be Jews and the biological father to be a Levite.

In archeology

Levites and priests may have been responsible for stamping the LMLK seals on Judean storage jars during the reign of Hezekiah (ca. 700 B.C.E.). The associated personal seals on the same jars may have represented various courses of Levites overseeing the proper production of 10 percent for tithing in the same manner that modern rabbis (mashgihim) approve kosher wine (Grena, 2004, pp. 75-6).

Notable descendants

Moses, Aaron, Miriam, John the Baptist

See also

• Levi
• Kohanim

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Grena, G.M. (2004). LMLK—A Mystery Belonging to the King vol. 1. Redondo Beach, California: 4000 Years of Writing History. ISBN 0-9748786-0-X. 
• Zarlengo, Michael. Tabernacle Gifts. Dallas, Texas: Michael Zarlengo Publishing, 2005.

External links

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