Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
males who claim
patrilineal
Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...
descent from the
Tribe of Levi
According to the Bible, the Tribe of Levi is one of the tribes of Israel, traditionally descended from Levi, son of Jacob. The descendants of Aaron, who was the first ''kohen gadol'' (high priest) of Israel, were designated as the priestly class, ...
. The Tribe of Levi descended from
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 M ...
, the third son of
Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
and
Leah
Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...
. 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 tribe
In real estate, a landed property or landed estate is a property that generates income for the owner (typically a member of the gentry) without the owner having to do the actual work of the estate.
In medieval Western Europe, there were two compet ...
s were expected to support the Levites with a
tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
(), particularly the tithe known as the
First tithe
The first tithe (Hebrew: ''ma'aser rishon'' מעשר ראשון) is a positive commandment in the Torah requiring the giving of one tenth of agricultural produce to charity, after the giving of the standard ''terumah,'' to the Levite (or Kohen). ...
, ''ma'aser rishon''. The
Kohanim
Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally be ...
, 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 and/or playing music in the Temple
* serving as guards
* carrying
When
Joshua
Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...
led the
Israelites
The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...
into the land of
Canaan
Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...
(), 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" ().
In modern times, Levites are integrated in Jewish communities, but keep a distinct status. There are estimated 300,000 Levites among
Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
communities,
and a similar number among
Sephardic
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
and
Mizrahi
''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' ( he, מזרחי) has two meanings.
In the literal Hebrew meaning ''Eastern'', it may refer to:
*Mizrahi Jews, Jews from the Middle East
* Mizrahi (surname), a Sephardic surname, given to Jews who got to the Iberian P ...
Jews combined. The total percentage of Levites among the wider Jewish population is about 4%.
In contemporary Jewish practice
Today, Levites in
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
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
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
.
Since Levites (and Kohanim) are traditionally pledged to Divine service, there is no
Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the firstborn) ceremony for:
* the son of a Kohen's or a Levite's daughter
* the son of a Kohen or a Levite.
Orthodox Judaism believes in the eventual rebuilding of a Temple in Jerusalem and a resumption of the Levitical role. There are a small number of schools, primarily in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, to train priests and Levites in their respective roles.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...
, which believes in a restoration of the Temple as a house of worship and in some special role for Levites, although not the ancient sacrificial system as previously practiced, recognizes Levites as having special status. Not all Conservative congregations call Kohanim and Levites to the first and second reading of the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
, and many no longer perform rituals such as the
Priestly Blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
and Pidyon HaBen in which ''Kohanim'' and Levites have a special role.
Reconstructionist and
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...
do not observe the distinctions between Kohanim, Levites, and other
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
.
Relationship with Kohanim
The Kohanim are traditionally believed and
halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
Aaron
According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...
of the
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 M ...
tribe. The origins of the name/term Levy in Hebrew is not clear. Some hypothesis links this name with Hebrew root ''lwh'', Aramaic root ''lwy'', or Arabic root ''lwy''.
The
noun
A noun () is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.Example nouns for:
* Living creatures (including people, alive, d ...
''kohen'' is used in the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
to refer to
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s, both Israelite and non-Israelite, such as the Israelite nation as a whole, as well as the priests (Hebrew ''kohanim'') of
Baal
Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during Ancient Near East, antiquity. From its use among people, it cam ...
. During the existence of the
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusa ...
, Kohanim performed the daily and holiday (
Yom Tov
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
) duties of korban, sacrificial offerings.
Today ''kohanim'' retain a lesser though somewhat distinct status within
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
, and are bound by additional restrictions according to
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
. During the
Priestly Blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
, the Levites traditionally wash the hands of the Kohanim prior to the blessing of the House of Israel. ("A first-born son washes the Kohen's hands if there is no Levite".)
Bat Levi
In Orthodox Judaism, children of a Bat Levi, like those of a
Bat-Kohen
A bat-kohen or bat kohen ( he, בת כהן) is the daughter of a kohen (Jewish priest), who holds a special status which is governed by special regulations in the Hebrew Bible and rabbinical texts.
In rabbinical literature the bat kohen is consid ...
, regardless of the child's father's tribe or the mother's marital status, retain the traditional exemption for their children from the requirement of being redeemed through the
Pidyon HaBen.
Conservative Judaism permits a Bat Levi to perform essentially all the rituals a male Levi would perform, including being called to the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
for the Levite
aliyah
Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...
in those Conservative synagogues which have both retained traditional tribal roles and modified traditional gender roles. In Israel, Conservative/Masorti Judaism has not extended Torah honors to either a bat Kohen or a bat Levi.
The Levites and the Holocaust
In 1938, with the outbreak of violence that would come to be known as
Kristallnacht
() or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...
, American Orthodox rabbi
Menachem HaKohen Risikoff wrote about the central role he saw for Priests and Levites in terms of Jewish and world responses, in worship, liturgy, and ''
teshuva
Repentance ( he, תשובה, literally, "return", pronounced ''tshuva'' or ''teshuva'') is one element of atoning for sin in Judaism. Judaism recognizes that everybody sins on occasion, but that people can stop or minimize those occasions in the ...
'', repentance. In ''The Priests and the Levites'', he stressed that members of these groups exist in the realm between history (below) and redemption (above), and must act in a unique way to help move others to prayer and action, and help bring an end to suffering. He wrote, "Today, we also are living through a time of flood, Not of water, but of a bright fire, which burns and turns Jewish life into ruin. We are now drowning in a flood of blood. ... Through the Kohanim and Levi'im help will come to all Israel."
Levite population
Levite Y-chromosome studies
A 2003 study of the Y-chromosome by Behar et al. pointed to multiple origins for
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
Levites, who comprise approximately 4% among the Ashkenazi Jews. It found that
Haplogroup R1a1a
Haplogroup R1a, or haplogroup R-M420, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup which is distributed in a large region in Eurasia, extending from Scandinavia and Central Europe to southern Siberia and South Asia.
While R1a originated c. 22,000 to 2 ...
(R-M17), uncommon in the Middle East or among
Sephardi
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
Jews, is present in over 50% of Ashkenazi Levites, while the rest of Ashkenazi Levites' paternal lineage is of certain Middle Eastern origin, including Y-chromosome haplogroups E3b, J2, F, R1b, K, I, Q, N and L.
Haplogroup R1a1a is found at the highest levels among people of Eastern European descent, with 50 to 65% among
Sorbs
Sorbs ( hsb, Serbja, dsb, Serby, german: Sorben; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Brandenbu ...
,
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
,
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
, and
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
. In South Asia,
R1a1a
Haplogroup R1a, or haplogroup R-M420, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup which is distributed in a large region in Eurasia, extending from Scandinavia and Central Europe to southern Siberia and South Asia.
While R1a originated c. 22,000 to 2 ...
has often been observed with high frequency in a number of demographic groups, reaching over 70% in West Bengal Brahmins in India and among the
Mohani
Mohani or Mohni (Nepal Bhasa: ) is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners kno ...
tribe in
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
province in Pakistan. Behar suggested a founding event, probably involving one or very few European men, occurring at a time close to the initial formation and settlement of the Ashkenazi community as a possible explanation.
As Nebel, Behar and Goldstein speculate,
although neither the NRY haplogroup composition of the majority of Ashkenazi Jews nor the microsatellite haplotype composition of the R1a1 haplogroup within Ashkenazi Levites is consistent with a major Khazar or other European origin, as has been speculated by some authors (Baron 1957; Dunlop 1967; Ben-Sasson 1976; Keys 1999), one cannot rule out the important contribution of a single or a few founders among contemporary Ashkenazi Levites."
A 2013 paper by Siiri Rootsi et al. confirmed a Near or Middle Eastern origin for all Ashkenazi Levites, including the R1a Y-chromosome carriers, and refuted the Khazar origin:
In a later 2017 study Behar et al. revised their initially mitigated position, concluding that a "Middle Eastern origin of the Ashkenazi Levite lineage based on what was previously a relatively limited number of reported samples, can now be considered firmly validated", precising that a "rich variation of haplogroup R1a outside of Europe which is phylogenetically separate from the typically European R1a branches", referring to the R1a-Y2619 sub-clade.
Lineage
Having a last name of Levi or a related term does not necessarily mean a person is a Levite, and many well-known Levites do not have such last names.
Levitical status is passed down in families from father to child born from a Jewish mother, as part of a family's genealogical tradition. Tribal status of Levite is determined by
patrilineal descent
Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...
, so a child whose biological father is a Levite (in cases of adoption or artificial insemination, status is determined by the genetic father), is also considered a Levite. Jewish status is determined by matrilineal descent, thus conferring levitical status onto children requires both biological parents to be Israelites and the biological father to be a Levite.
Accordingly, there is currently no branch of Judaism that regards levitical status as conferrable by matrilineal descent. It is either conferrable patrilineally with a Jewish mother, in the traditional manner, or it does not exist and is not conferred at all.
Levite surnames
Some Levites have adopted a related last name to signify their status. Because of diverse geographical locations, the names have several variations:
* ''Alouwi'' – Arabic variant, of Sephardic origin
* ''Aguiló'' – surname to the Jews from Mallorca (
Xuetes
The Xuetes (; singular , also known as and spelled as ) are a social group on the Spanish island of Majorca, in the Mediterranean Sea, who are descendants of Majorcan Jews that either were conversos (forcible converts to Christianity) or were C ...
).
* ''Bazes'' – a Levite surname.
* ''
Benveniste
The Spanish Benveniste family is an old, noble, wealthy, and scholarly Jewish family of Narbonne, France and northern Spain established in the 11th century. The family was present in the 11th to the 15th centuries in Hachmei Provence, France, Barc ...
'' – a Sephardic Levite surname.
* ''
Epstein The surname Epstein ( yi, עפּשטײן, Epshteyn) is one of the oldest Ashkenazi Jewish family names. It is probably derived from the German town of Eppstein, in Hesse; the place-name was probably derived from Gaulish ''apa'' ("water", in the sen ...
'' – one of the European lineages descended from
Zerahiah Ha-Levi of Sepharad
* ''HaLevi'', ''
Halevi
Halevi (''the Levite'' or ''of Levi'') may refer to:
* An Israelite man descended patrilineally from the tribe of Levi, and his full name may be written as (personal name) ''HaLevi'' (family name). The prefix " ה" (HAY), in the Hebrew language, ...
'' and ''Halevy'' – Hebrew language and all translate to "the ''Levi''" or "the ''Levite''".
* ''
Horowitz
Horowitz ( he, הוֹרוֹביץ, yi, האָראָװיץ) is a Levitical Ashkenazi surname deriving from the Horowitz family, though it can also be a non Jewish surname as well. The name is derived from the town of Hořovice, Bohemia. Other varia ...
HaLevi'', or simply ''Horowitz/Hurwitz/Gurvich/Gurevich'' – a European Levite surname, tracing to Isaiah Horowitz HaLevi, a descendant of
Zerahiah Ha-Levi of Sepharad
* ''Lavi'' – a common Levite surname
* ''Leefsma'' – Frisian surname.
* ''Leevi'' – Finnish variation.
* ''Lev'' – simplified Russian variation of ''Levi''
* ''Levai'', ''Lévai'' and ''Lévay'' – a Levitic surname, originally meaning "a person from ''
Levice
Levice (; hu, Léva, Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Lewenz, literally lionesses) is a town in western Slovakia. The town lies on the left bank of the lower Hron river. The Old Slavic name of the town was ''Leva'', which means "the Left One ...
''" but today it is used by
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
who were forced to change their name during the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
.
* ''Leven'' – Swedish variation.
* ''Levente'' – Hungarian variation.
* ''
Lévi, Levi'', ''
Lévy or Levy'' – Hebrew for "Levite", equally common in Ashkenasic and Sephardic groups.
* ''Levian/Livian/Benlevi/Liviem'' – Persian-Jewish variations.
* ''Lević'', also ''Levinić'', ''
Prelević'' – Croatian or Serbian variations.
* ''
Levin'' –
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n variation, also ''
Levine Levine (French transliteration from Russian) / Levin (English transliteration from Russian Левин) is a common Jewish ( Ashkenazi Jewish) surname. Levinsky is a variation with the same meaning (see French version of the article for a full expl ...
'', ''Lavin'' or ''Lavine'' (, rhyming with "ravine", or in some cases further anglicised to , rhyming with "divine") and ''
Lewin
Lewin is a Germanic name, usually originating from either of two different sources, the Old English Leofwine or a variant of the Jewish Levin. People with the name include:
* Albert Lewin (1894–1968), American film director, producer, and sc ...
'' 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).
* ''Levit'', also ''Levitt'' – typically from the Bessarabia region of Romania, Moldova and southern Ukraine.
* ''Levita'' –
Elia Levita
Elia Levita (13 February 146928 January 1549) ( he, אליהו בן אשר הלוי אשכנזי), also known as Elijah Levita, Elias Levita, Élie Lévita, Elia Levita Ashkenazi, Eliahu Levita, Eliyahu haBahur ("Elijah the Bachelor"), Elye Bok ...
, an ancestor of
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
* ''Leviyev'' – the Russified surname (adding the ''yev/ev'') that many
Bukharian Jews
Bukharan Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכארא/яҳудиёни Бухоро, ''Yahudiyoni Bukhoro''; he, יהודי בוכרה, ''Yehudey Bukhara''), in modern times also called Bukharian Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכאר ...
of Central Asia have. Sometimes spelled ''Leviev'' or even ''Levaev''.
* ''Lewi'' or ''Lewj'' (Polish, ''Levi'' and ''Levy'')
* ''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'', ''Lewitinn'', and with additional suffix -ski/sky ''Levitanski'', ''Lewitanski'', ''Levitansky'', also ''Lewitas'', ''Levitas'', Lithuanian, Belorussian, ''Leyva'' Spanish Sephardic, also but rare ''Lefite, Lafite, Lafitte'', of French Sephardic origin.
[
* Variants from ]Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
''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 Löwe, the German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
word for "lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
").[
* ''Segal'' – shortened "Segen Levi" (secondary Levite)
* ''Urfali'' or ''Levi Urfali'' (also ''Levi Abud'', ''Levi Aslan'', ''Levi Hamami'') – an ]Urfalim
Urfalim ( he, אוּרְפָלִים) or Urfan Jews, also known as Urfan Levites, are a Jewish (predominantly Levite) community originating from Urfa, in south-eastern Anatolia, in modern Turkey. Jews from the Anatolian villages of Suruç and Çe ...
community surname, which was mostly Levite in origin
* ''Zemmel'' – shortened "Zecher mi-Shevet Levi" (descendant of the Levite tribe)
Modern Levites
The following are some Levites with non-Levite-like last names in modern times:
* Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions.
His works are considered ...
* Chaim Herzog
Major-General Chaim Herzog ( he, חיים הרצוג; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Irish-born Israeli politician, general, lawyer and author who served as the sixth President of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and ...
* Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...
[PBS Show '']Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled with ...
'' broadcast January 26, 2016
See also
* Kohen
Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally b ...
* Samaritans
Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...
* Urfalim
Urfalim ( he, אוּרְפָלִים) or Urfan Jews, also known as Urfan Levites, are a Jewish (predominantly Levite) community originating from Urfa, in south-eastern Anatolia, in modern Turkey. Jews from the Anatolian villages of Suruç and Çe ...
Explanatory footnotes
Levites comprise a subgroup of about 4% of world Jewry.[Bradman et al. 1999.] Combined with Kohanim
Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally be ...
, who are also Levites, the subgroup forms roughly 8% of the Jewish population worldwide, or about 1–1.1 million. Levites also comprise one of the four surviving families of Samaritans, where they serve the role of High Priests due to the fact that the last Samaritan High Priest Cohanic family went extinct in the 17th century.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Twenty-four places in tanach where the Kohanim are called Levi'im
– Kehuna.org
LeviteDNA.org
– website on R1a Ashkenazi Levites
{{Ark of the Covenant
Hebrew Bible words and phrases
Jewish ethnic groups
Jewish religious occupations
Book of Numbers people