1. Number of Levites and Aye for Service. — The Le- vites from thirty years of age and upwards were first of all numbered, when it was Ibund that they were 38,000 (1 Chron. xxiii, 2,3) ; this being about 29,500 more than at the first Mosaic census. It will be seen that, accord- ing to this statement, the Levites were to commence service at thirty years of age, in harmony with the Mo- saic institution (Numb, iv, 3, 23, 30) ; while in ver. 27 of the same chapter (i. e. 1 Chron. xxiii, 27) it is said that they were to take tlieir share of duty at twenty years of age. Kimchi, wlio is followed by bishop Pat- rick, Michaelis, and others, tries to reconcile this appar- ent contradiction by submitting that the former refers to a census which David matle at an earlier period, which was according to the Mosaic law (Numb, iv, 3) ; while the latter speaks of a second census which he made at the close of his life, when he found that the du- ties of the fixed sanctuary were much lighter and more numenms, and coidd easily be performed at the age of twenty, but at the same time required a larger staff of men. Against this, however, Bertheau rightly urges that, 1. The 38,000 Levites of thirty years of age given in the census of ver. 3 are the only persons appointed for the different Levitical offices, and that it is nowhere stated that this number was insufficient, or that the ar- rangements based thereupon, as recorded in vers. 4 and 5, were not carried out; and, 2. The chronicler plainly
indicates, in ver, 25, etc., that he is about to impart a different statement from that communicated in ver. 3 ; for he mentions therein the reason which induced David not to abide by the Mosaic institution, which prescribes , the age of service to commence at thirty, and in ver. 27 expressly points out the source from which he derived this deviating account. The two accounts are, there- fore, entirely different; the one records that the Le- vites, in David's time, were numbered from their thir- tieth year; whUe the other, which appears to the chron- icler more trustworthy, states that David introduced the practice which afterwards obtained (2 Chron. xxxi, 17 ; Ezra iii, 8) of appointing Levites to office at the age of twenty.
2. Division of the Levites according to the three great Families. — Having ascertained their number, David, fol- lowing the example of the Mosaic institution, divided the Levitical fathers' houses, according to their descent from the three sons of Levi, when it was ascertained that these three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were represented by twenty-four heads of fathers' houses (1 Chron. xxiii, 0-23 ; xxiv, 20-31), as follows:
fJehiel.
I Zetliam.
! Joel.
I Shelomith or Shelomoth.
I Haziel.
l^IIaran. Jahath. Zina or Ziza. Jeush and Beriah, counted as one.
|Shiil)ael.
(Kehabirth.
Gekshon <
-Laadan
-Shimei
Kohath
Mekabi
'Amram Izhar . . .
"1 Hebron
Uzziel
Shelomith or Shelomoth. Jeriali. Aniariah. Jahazicl. Jekameam. (Michah. (Isshiah. (■Shohara. f Jaaziah < Zaccur. I (ibri.
Jereraeel.
"|Mahli....Kish-,
Uiushi {f^;«;;;,oth.
3. Classification and Duties of the Leintes. — These twenty-four fathers' houses, numbering 38,000 men qual- ified for active service, were then divided into four class- es, to each of which different duties were assigned.
(1.) The first class consisted of 24,000 Levites. These were appointed to assist the priests in the work of.the sanctuary {\nTOvpyovi>Ttq). They had the custody of the official garments and sacred vessels, had to deliver them when wanteil, and collect and lock them up again after they had been used; to replenish the sacrificial storehouse with cattle, fiour, wine, oil, incense, and other articles used as sacrifices, and mete out each time the required quantity ; to provide the different spices from which the priests compounded the incense (1 Chron. ix, 30) ; to prepare the shewbread and the other baked things used at sacrifices ; to assist the priests in slaugh- tering the victims, and to attend to the cleaning of the Temple, etc. (1 Chron. xxiii, 28-32; ix, 29). They had most probably, also, the charge of the sacred treasury (1 Chron. xxvi, 20-28). Like the priests, they -were subdivided into twenty-four courses or companies, ac- cording to the above-named twenty-four Levitical fa- thers' houses, and were headed respectively by one of the twenty-four representatives of these houses. Each of these courses was a week on duty, and was relieved on the Sabbath (2 Kings xi) by the company -vdiose turn it was to serve next, so that there were always a thousand men of this class on duty, and each man had to serve two weeks during the year. The menial work was done by the Nethinim, who were appointed to assist the Levites in these matters. See Nethiniji.
(2.) The second class consisted of 4000, who were the musicians (C'ni'lC^a, vfivtpSoi). They too were sub- divided into twenty-four courses or choirs, each lieaded by a chief (1 Chron. xxv), and are to be traced back to the three great families of Levi, inasmuch as four of the
LEVITE
398
LEVITE
chiefs were sons of Asaph, a descendant of Gershon (1 ] Chron. vi, 24-2S) ; six wore sons of Jcduthun, also called Ethan (1 Chron. xv, 17), a descendant of Merari (1 ; Chnin. vi. '2S) ; and fourteen were sons of Haman, a de- scendant of Koliath (1 Chron. vi, 18). Each of these chiefs had eleven assistant masters from his own sons and brothers, thus maliing together 288 (1 Chron. xxv, 7). Hence, when these are deducted from the 4000, there remain for each band consisting of twelve chief nnisicians, 154 or 155 subordinate musicians. As twelve nnisieians were reqnired to be present at the daily morn- ing and evening service, thus demanding 1G8 to be on duty every week, the twenty-four courses which re- lieved each other in hebdomadal rotation must have consisted of 4032, and 4000 given by the chronicler is simply to be regarded as a round number. Of this class, therefore, as of the former, each individual had to serve t^vo weeks during the year.