Who are the levites who followed Moses in the Exodus?

Answer 1

Jacob had twelve sons, who became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Levi was Jacob's third son by his wife, Leah, and the Levites were descendants of Levi (Genesis 35:23, 26) Levi was Aaron and Moses' great-grandfather (Exodus 6:13,16-20) and the father of Gershon, Kehath, and Merari, who became the heads of the three principal divisions of the Levites. Genesis 46:11; 1Chronicles 6:1, 16. The term "Levite" applies to the whole tribe, including the priestly family of Aaron who were priests, which is why we often hear the expression "priests and Levites" in The Bible (1Kings 8:4; 1Chronicles 23:2; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19). Priestly duties were confined to the male members of Aaron's family, with the rest of the Levite tribe acting as their assistants, dismantling, and carrying the tabernacle (Numbers 3:3, 6-10) as they travelled in the wilderness. Each of these families had an assigned place near the tabernacle in the wilderness. Aaron's Kehathite family camped to the east, in front of the tabernacle .. The remaining Kehathites camped to the south . The Gershonites on the west, and the Merarites on the north (Numbers 3:23, 29, 35, 38). When it was time to move: Aaron and his sons took down the curtain dividing the Holy from the Most Holy and covered the ark of the testimony, the altars, and other sacred furniture and utensils. The Kehathites then carried these things. The Gershonites transported the tent cloths, coverings, screens, courtyard hangings, and tent cords (evidently the cords of the tabernacle itself), and the Merarites took care of the panel frames, pillars, socket pedestals, tent pins and cords (cords of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle). Numbers 1:50, 51; 3:25, 26, 30, 31, 36, 37; 4:4-33; 7:5-9.

Answer 2

The Levites were the priestly tribe who were ministers to all the other tribes of Israel and the only ones who had anything to do with God's Tabernacle. No-one else was allowed to do it on pain of death. Although we know the names of their family clans, since there were a total of 22,000 Levites their individual names are unknown.

Num 3:1-51 GNB This is the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. Num 3:5-6 GNB The LORD said to Moses, (v.6) "Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest. (v.7) They shall do the work required for the Tent [or Tabernacle] of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community.

[Their duties were listed in verses (v.8, 25 -26, 31,36-37)]

(v.38) ...They were responsible for carrying out the services performed in the Holy Place for the people of Israel. Anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death. (v.39) The total number of all the Levite males one month old or older that Moses enrolled by clans at the command of the LORD, was 22,000.

Answer 3

Levites are the members of the tribe of Levi, the descendants of Jacob's son of the same

name. A few familiar Levites from the Bible were Amram, his children Moses, Aaron, and

Miriam, and their cousin Korach.

Priests are the Levites descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses.

Self-identity as Priests and Levites is known to significant numbers of Jews even today,

and genetic markers have also been positively identified. The familiar name "Cohen"

is the biblical Hebrew word for 'priest', and is often carried by a Jew of priestly descent.

Answer 4

Levis were from the priestly family.