Levite

Levites
לויים
Total population
~500,000–600,000 worldwide[a]
Regions with significant populations
 Israel240,000
 United States200,000
 France16,000
 Canada12,000
 India3,000
Languages
Vernacular:
Hebrew, English and numerous other languages in the Jewish diaspora
Historical:
Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic
Religion
Judaism, Samaritanism
Related ethnic groups
other Jews, Samaritans
Total percentage of Levites among Jews is about 4%.

Levites (/ˈliːvaɪt/ LEE-vyte; Hebrew: לְוִיִּם, romanized: Lǝvīyyīm) or Levi[3] are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi.[4] The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname Halevi, which consists of the Hebrew definite article "ה" Ha- ('the') plus Levi ('Levite'), is not conclusive regarding being a Levite; a titular use of HaLevi indicates being a Levite. The daughter of a Levite is a Bat Levi (Bat being Hebrew for 'daughter').

The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political (administering cities of refuge) and educational responsibilities as well. In return, the landed tribes were expected to support the Levites with a tithe (Numbers 18:21–25), particularly the tithe known as the First tithe, ma'aser rishon. The Kohanim, a subset of the Levites, were the priests, who performed the work of holiness in the Temple. The Levites, referring to those who were not Kohanim, were specifically assigned to:

  • Singing[5] and/or playing music in the Temple
  • Serving as guards
  • Carrying[b]

When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan (Joshua 13:33), the Sons of Levi were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel Himself is their inheritance" (Deuteronomy 18:2).[6]

In modern times, Levites are integrated in Jewish communities, but keep a distinct status. There are estimated 300,000 Levites among Ashkenazi Jewish communities,[7] and a similar number among Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews combined. The total percentage of Levites among the wider Jewish population is about 4%.

  1. ^ a b Bradman et al. 1999.
  2. ^ Sean Ireton (2003). "The Samaritans – A Jewish Sect in Israel: Strategies for Survival of an Ethno-religious Minority in the Twenty First Century". Anthrobase. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  3. ^ "Levite synonyms, Levite antonyms". freethesaurus.com. Synonyms for Levite ... noun a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi … the branch that provided male assistants to ...
  4. ^ "Membership in the Levites is determined by paternal descent." "Medical Definition of Levite". Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  5. ^ "The Holy Temple Music". tractate Arachin (11a) that oral music was never to be uttered by anyone other than a Levite
  6. ^ Joshua 13:33, cited in Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Levites" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  7. ^ Behar, Doron M.; Saag, Lauri; Karmin, Monika; Gover, Meir G.; Wexler, Jeffrey D.; Sanchez, Luisa Fernanda; Greenspan, Elliott; Kushniarevich, Alena; Davydenko, Oleg; Sahakyan, Hovhannes; Yepiskoposyan, Levon; Boattini, Alessio; Sarno, Stefania; Pagani, Luca; Carmi, Shai; Tzur, Shay; Metspalu, Ene; Bormans, Concetta; Skorecki, Karl; Metspalu, Mait; Rootsi, Siiri; Villems, Richard (2017). "The genetic variation in the R1a clade among the Ashkenazi Levites' y chromosome". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 14969. Bibcode:2017NatSR...714969B. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14761-7. PMC 5668307. PMID 29097670.


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