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Gershon
According to the Torah, Gershon ( he, גֵּרְשׁוֹן ''Gērǝšôn'') was the eldest of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Gershonites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in biblical times. The Gershonites were charged with the care of the outer tabernacle including components such as the tent and its covering, screens, doors, and hangings. Biblical scholars regard the name as being essentially the same as "Gershom" ( ''Gēršōm''), which appears to mean "a sojourner there" (גר שם), and it is Gershom rather than Gershon who is sometimes listed in the Book of Chronicles as a founder of one of the principal Levite factions. The Torah names Gershon's sons as Libni and Shimei. Textual scholars attribute the genealogy to the Book of Generations, a document originating from a religiopolitical group similar to that behind the Priestly source, and at a similar date. According to some biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gershonites
The Gershonites were one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times. The Bible claims that the Gershonites were all descended from the eponymous ''Gershon'' a son of Levi (not to be confused with Moses' son Gershom), although some biblical scholars regard this as a postdictional metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the clan to others in the Israelite confederation. '' Peake's Commentary on the Bible''''Jewish Encyclopedia'' The Bible lists 2 major family divisions of the Gershonites, the Libnites and the Shimeites (Numbers 3:21). The Bible ascribes a specific religious function to the Gershonites, namely care of the curtains, hangings, and ropes of the sanctuary. This differentiation of religious activity between the Gershonites and other Levites, in particular the Aaronids, is found only in the Priestly Code, and not in passages that textual scholars attribute to other authors. According to the Book of Joshua, rather than possessing a c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amram
In the Book of Exodus, Amram (; ) is the husband of Jochebed and father of Aaron, Moses and Miriam. In the Bible In addition to being married to Jochebed, Amram is also described in the Bible as having been related to Jochebed prior to the marriage, although the exact relationship is uncertain; some Greek and Latin manuscripts of the Septuagint state that Jochebed was Amram's father's cousin, and others state that Amram was Jochebed's cousin, but the Masoretic Text states that she was his father's sister. He is praised for his faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Textual scholars attribute the biblical genealogy to the Book of Generations, a hypothetically reconstructed document theorized to originate from a similar religiopolitical group and date to the priestly source. According to critical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the Levites – the Gers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jochebed
According to the Bible, Jochebed (; hbo, יוֹכֶבֶד, translit=Yōḵeḇeḏ, lit=YHWH is glory) was a daughter of Levi and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. No details are given concerning her life. According to Jewish legend, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. In the New Testament, she is praised for her faith in God. Birth of Moses The story of Jochebed is thought to be described in the Book of Exodus (2:1–10) – although she is not explicitly named here. (Her name is first mentioned in Exodus 6:20.) She lived in Egypt, where the descendants of Israel were being oppressed. The Pharaoh had decreed that all their baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile, because he feared that they might become too powerful. When Moses, her youngest child, was born, Jochebed hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer. To save her son's life, she waterproofed a basket and put the child in it. Jochebe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Levi
Levi (; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Certain religious and political functions were reserved for the Levites. Origins The Torah suggests that the name ''Levi'' refers to Leah's hope for Jacob to ''join'' with her, implying a derivation from ''yillaweh'', meaning ''he will join'', but scholars suspect that it may simply mean ''priest'', either as a loan word from the Minaean ''lawi'u'', meaning ''priest'', or by referring to those people who were ''joined'' to the Ark of the Covenant. Another possibility is that the Levites originated as migrants and that the name Levites indicates their ''joining'' with either the Israelites in general or the earlier Israelite priesthood in particular. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kohath
According to the Torah, Kehath ( he, קְהָת, ''Qəhāṯ'') or Kohath was one of the sons of Levi and the patriarchal founder of the Kehathites, one of the four main divisions of the Levites in biblical times. In some apocryphal texts, such as the ''Testament of Levi'' and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, Kehath's mother, is ''Milkah'', a daughter of Aram. Onomastics According to biblical scholars, the meaning of Kehath's name is unknown, though it may derive from an Aramaic word meaning ''obey''. In the Testament of Levi, Kehath's birth when his father Levi was 35 years old was accompanied by a vision of Kehath "on high in the midst of all the congregation"; in the vision, Kehath's name is given as meaning "the beginning of majesty and instruction" and prophesies his being raised above his siblings. Genealogy In the ''Book of Exodus'', Kehath has four sons, Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Amram marries Jochebed and sires Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Although some Greek and L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merari
According to the Torah, Merari (Hebrew: , ''Mərārî'') was one of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Merarites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times. The Hebrew word ''Merari'' means ''sad'', ''bitter'' or ''strong'' (in the sense that a dish with a bitter taste might be said to have a "strong" taste). The Merarites were charged with the transportation and care of the structural components of the tabernacle. Richard Elliott Friedman attributes the genealogy to the Book of Generations, a document originating from a similar religiopolitical group and date to the priestly source. According to some biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the levites - the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, anAaronids according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, ''Levite'' was originally just a job title, deriving from the Minaean word '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shimei
Shimei ( ''Šīmʿī'') is the name of a number of persons referenced in the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinical literature. *The second son of Gershon and grandson of Levi (; ; ). The family of the Shimeites, as a branch of the tribe of Levi, is mentioned in ; ("Shimei" in verse 9 could be a scribal error); and in Zechariah 12:13. In the New Testament the name occurs in , spelled Semei in the King James Version. *A Benjamite of Bahurim, son of Gera, "a man of the family of the house of Saul" (; ). He is mentioned as one of David's tormentors during his flight before Absalom, and as imploring and winning David's forgiveness when the latter returned. David, however, in his dying charge to Solomon, bade him avenge the insult (). Jewish scribes say that Solomon's teacher was Shimei (son of Gera), and while he lived, he prevented Solomon from marrying foreign wives. The Talmud says at Ber. 8a: "For as long as Shimei the son of Gera was alive Solomon did not marry the daughter of Pharaoh" ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kohathites
The Kohathites were one of the four main divisions among the Levites in biblical times, the other three being the Gershonites, the Merarites, and the Aaronites (more commonly known as Kohanim). The Bible claims that the Kohathites were all descended from the eponymous ''Kohath'', a son of Levi. Overview The Torah ascribes a specific religious function to the Kohathites, namely care of the vessels and objects within the sanctuary: the Ark of the Covenant, Menorah, Table of Shewbread. According to the Book of Joshua, rather than possessing a continuous territory, the Kohathites possessed several cities scattered throughout the geographic region in the Kingdom of Israel south of the Jezreel Valley, and in the region north of the Galilee, the latter being an extremely large distance apart from the former: *in the territory of Ephraim: Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-horon *in the western part of the territory of Manasseh: Taanach, Gat Rimon *in the territory of Dan: Eltekeh, Gi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gershom
According to the Bible, Gershom ( ''Gēršōm'', "a sojourner there"; la, Gersam) was the primogeniture, firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah. The name means "a stranger there" in Hebrew, ( ''ger sham''), which the text argues was a reference to Moses' flight from Egypt. biblical criticism, Biblical scholars regard the name as being essentially the same as ''Gershon''Cheyne and Black, ''Encyclopedia Biblica'' and in the Books of Chronicles, Book of Chronicles the progenitor of one of the principal Levite clans is sometimes identified as Gershom, sometimes as Gershon. The firstborn son of Moses by Zipporah; born in Midian. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro came to Moses in the wilderness, bringing with him Moses’ wife Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. The priestly service of Gershom's descendant Jonathan on behalf of the Danites was illegal, because, although he was a Levite, he was not of Aaron's family. The passage in Book of Exodus, Exodus concerning Zipporah at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merarites
The Merarites were one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times. The Bible claims that the Merarites were all descended from the eponymous Merari, a son of Levi, although some biblical scholars regard this as a postdictional metaphor, providing an origin myth of the connectedness of the clan to others in the Israelite confederation;.''Jewish Encyclopedia'' The Bible ascribes a specific religious function to the Merarites, namely care of the framework - posts, crossbars, courtyard, tent pegs, etc. - of the sanctuary. This differentiation of religious activity between the Merarites and other Levites, in particular the Aaronids, is found only in the Priestly Code, and not in passages that textual scholars attribute to other authors. According to the Book of Joshua, rather than possessing a continuous territory, the Merarites possessed several cities scattered throughout the geographic region of Gilead, as well as in the south of the Galilee, the latter bein ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Levites
Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew definite article "" ''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 (), 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 * singi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
