vice was from thirty to fifty, but that all future Levites Iiad to commence service at twenty-five. The Sept. solves the difficulty by uniformly readmg twenty-five instead of thirty.
4. Duties and Classification ofthe Levites. — The com- mencement of the march from Sinai gave a prominence to their new character. As the tabernacle was the sign of the presence among the people of their unseen King, so the Levites were, among the other tribes of Israel, as the royal guard that waited exclusively on liim. The warlike title of "host" is specially applied to them (comp. use of N^2, in Numb, iv, 3, 30 ; and of ii:np, in 1 Chron. i, 19). As such they were not included in the number of the armies of Israel (Numb, i, 47 ; ii, 33 ; xxvi, 02), but were reckoned separately by themselves. When the people were at rest they encamped as guar- dians aroimd the sacred tent; no one else might come near it under pain of death (Numb, i, 51 ; xviii, 22). The different families pitched their tents around it in the following manner : the Gershonites behind it on the west (Numb, iii, 23), the Kohathites on the south (iii, 29), the Merarites on the north (iii, 35), and the priests on the east (iii, 38). See Cajmp. They were to occupy a middle position in that ascending scale of consecration wliich, starting from the idea of the whole nation as a priestly people, reached its culmuiating point in the high-priest, who alone of all the people might enter " within the veil." The Levites might come nearer than the other tribes, but they might not sacrifice, nor burn incense, nor see the " holy things" of the sanctuary tiU they were covered (Numb. iv. 15). When on tlie march, no hands but theirs might strike the tent at the commencement of the day's journey, or carry the parts of its structure during it, or pitch the tent agam when they halted (Numb, i, 51). It was obviously es- sential for such a work that there should be a fixed as- signment of duties, and now, accordingly, we meet Avith the first outlines of the organization which afterwards became permanent. The division of the tribe into the three sections that traced their descent from the sons of Levi formed the groundwork of it. The Levites were given as a gift ('? CSTS, Nethirdm) to Aaron and his sons, the priests, to wait upon them, and to do the sub- ordinate work for them at the service of the sanctuarj^ (Numb. viii. 19; xvii, 2-()). They had also to guard the tabernacle and take charge of certain vessels, whilst the priests had to watch the altars and the interior of the sanctuary (i, 50-53; viii, 19; xviii, 1-7). To carry this out effectually, the charge of certain vessels and portions of the tabernacle, as well as the guarding of its several sides, was assigned to each of the tliree sections into which the tribe was divided by their respective de- scent from the three sons of Levi, i. e. Gerslion, Kohath, and INIerari, as follows :
(1.) The Kohathites, who out of 8600 persons yielded 2750 qualified for active service according to the pre- scribed age, and who were under the leadership of Eliz- aphan, had to occupy the south side of the tabernacle, and, as the family to whom Aaron the high-priest and his sons belonged, hatl to take charge of the lioly things (Clpn niT^'i'^), viz., the ark, the table of shew-liread, the candlestick, the two altars of incense and burnt-offer- ing, as well as of the sacred vessels used at tlie service of these holy things, and tlie curtains of the holy of ho- lies. All these things they had to carry on tlieir own shoulders when the camp was broken up (Numb. iii. 27-32; iv, 5-15; vii, 9; Dent, xxxi, 25), after the ])riests had covered them with the dark blue cloth which was to hide them from all profane gaze; and thus they be- came also the guardians of all the sacred treasures which the people had so freelv offered. Eleazar, the head of the priests, who belonged to the Kohathites, and was the chief commander of the three Levitical divisions, had the charge ofthe oil for the candlestick, the incense, the daily meat-offering, and the anointing oil (Numtt iii, 32; iv, 16).
LEVITE
393
LEVITE
(2.) The Gershonites, who out of 7500 men yielded 2630 for active service, and who were under the leader- ship of Ehasaph, had to occupy the west side of the tab- ernacle, and to take charge of the tapestry of the taber- nacle, all its curtains, hangings, and coverings, the pil- lars of the tapestry hangings, the implements used in connection therewith, and to perform all the work con- nected with the taking down and putting up of the arti- cles over which they had the charge (Numb, iii, 21-2(5 ; iv, 22-28).
(3.) The Merarites, who out of G200 yielded 3200 ac- tive men. and who were under the leadership of Zuriel, had to occupy the north side of the tabernacle, and take charge of the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, tent-pins, etc. (Numb, iii, 33-37 ; iv, 39, 40). The two latter compa- nies, however, were allowed to use the six covered wag- ons and the twelve oxen which were offered as an obla- tion to Jehovah ; tlie Gershonites, having the less heavy portion, got two of the wagons and four of the oxen ; whilst the Merarites, who had the heavier portions, got four of the wagons and eight of the oxen (Numb, vii, 3-'J ).