LEVITES. All the Descendants of Levi may be comprized under the Name of Levites: But they are principally meant by it, who were employed in the lowest Ministries of the Temple, whereby they were distinguished from the Priests, who being descended from Aaron, were likewise of the Race of Levi by Kobath, but were employed in higher Offices. We have spoken of them in the Article Aaron; and shall again speak of them in that of Priests.
The Levites therefore were all the Descendants of Levi by Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, excepting only the Family of Aaron; for the very Children of Moses had no Part in the Priesthood, and were no more than common Levites. God chose them in the Room of the First-born of all Numb. iii. 6, &c.Israel, for the Service of his Tabernacle and Temple. They were obedient to the Priests in the Ministrations of the Temple, and brought Wood to them, Water, and other Things necessary for the Sacrifices. They sung and played upon Instruments in the Temple, and in other Ceremonies. They applied themselves to the Study of the Law, and were the ordinary Judges of the Countrey, but always subordinate to the Priests.
God provided for the Subsistence of the Levites, by giving them all the Tythe of Corn, Fruit and Cattle throughout Israel. Numb. xviii. 21, 22, 23, 24.But they were to give the Priests the Tenth of their Tythes; and as the Levites possessed no Estates in Land, the Tythes which the Priests received from them, were looked upon as the First-Fruits which they were to offer to the Lord.
God assigned them eight and forty Cities Numb. xxxv. 1, 2, 3, &c.for their Habitations, with Fields, Pastures, and Gardens. Of these eight and forty Cities thirteen were given to the Priests, six whereof were chosen to be Cities of Refuge. While the Levites were actually imployed in the Service of the Temple, they were subsisted out of the Provisions in Store there, and out of the daily Offerings which were made there; and if any Levite quitted the Place of his Abode, to go and do Service at the Temple, even out of the Time of his half-yearly or weekly Waiting; he was received there, kept and provided for, in like Manner, as his other Brethren, who were regularly in Waiting. Deut. xviii 6, 7, 8.The Consecration of Levites was performed without much Ceremony. They wore no peculiar Habits to distinguish them 2 Chr. xxix. 34.from other Israelites, and God ordained nothing particularly for their Mourning. The Manner of their Consecration was as Numb. viii. 5, 6, 7, &c.follows.
The Lord said to Moses; take the Levites from among the Children of Israel, and cleanse them, sprinkle them with the Water of Expiation; and let them shave all their Flesh, and wash their Clothes. They shall bring two Oxen, or rather two Bullocks before the Door of the Tabernacle. Then all the Children of Israel being assembled, shall put their Hands upon the Levites Head, as an Indication, that they k Joseph. Antiq. l. xx. c. 8. p. 699. offer them unto the Lord. After this the Levites shall put their Hands upon the Heads of the two Bullocks, one whereof shall be offered for a Burnt-Offering, and the other for a Sin-Offering. You shall present the Levites to the High-Priest Aaron and his Sons, who shall offer them unto the Lord, by lifting them up in the Air towards the four Corners of the World, or by obliging them to use particular Motions, which have some Relation to that practiced by the Priests, while they waved certain Offerings towards the four Quarters of the Earth.
Josephus k tells us that in the Reign of Agrippa King of the Jews, about the Year of J. C. 62, and six Years before the Destruction of the Temple by the Romans, the Levites desired Permission from this Prince to wear the Linnen Tunick as the Priests did; which Request was granted. This Innovation was displeasing to the Priests; and the Jewish Historian remarks, that the old Customs of the Countrey never were forsaken with Impunity. He adds, that Agrippa permitted likewise the Families of the Levites, whose common Office it was to guard the Doors, and perform other troublesome Offices, to learn to sing and play on Instruments, that they might be qualified for the Service of the Temple as Musicians.
The Levites were divided into different Classes, namely the Gershomites, Koathites, Merarites, and Aaronites or Priests. Here follows the Enumeration made by Moses, after their Departure out of Egypt, of all the Males from one Month old and upwards, according to the particular Order which he received from God to this Purpose.
The Gershomites were in Number seven Thousand five Hundred. Their Office in the Marches through the Wilderness was to carry the Veils and Curtains of the Tabernacle. Eliasaph, the Son of Lael, was the chief of them.
The Koathites were imployed in carrying the Ark and sacred Vessels of the Tabernacle, their Number was eight Thousand six Hundred. Elizaphan, the Son of Uzziel was at the Head of them.
The Merarites were in Number six Thousand two Hundred. Their Office consisted in carrying the several Pieces of the Tabernacle which they could not place upon the Chariots; Zariel, the Son of Abibail, was their Commander.
The Aaronites were the Priests who served in the Sanctuary; Eleazar, the Son of Aaron, was their General. Their Genealogy may be seen at full Length in the genealogical Tree which we have had engraved here.
As often as the Hebrews incamped in the Wilderness, the Levites were distributed round about the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron were placed at the East, Gershom at the West; Kohath at the South; and Merari Numb. iii. 17, 18, &c. Numb. viii. 24. Numb. iv. 3.at the North. Moses ordained, that the Levites should not do Service at the Tabernacle till they were five and twenty Years of Age, or as he says elsewhere, from thirty to fifty Years old. But David finding that they were imployed no longer in those grosser Offices, of transporting the Vessels of the Tabernacle, obliged them to enter upon Service at the Temple as soon as they were twenty Years of Age. The Priests and Levites waited by Turns, and weekly in the Temple. They began their Weeks upon one Sabbath Day, and upon the same Day in 1 Chr. xxiii. 24. 2 Chr. xxxi. 17. and Ezra iii. 8. Deut. xii. 18, 19.the following Week they went out of waiting. When any Israelite made a religious Entertainment in the Temple, God required, that the Levites should be invited to it.