The Levites appear but seldom in tlie history of the X. T. Where we meet with their names it is as the type of a formal, heartless worship, without sympathy and without love (Luke x, 32). The same parable in- dicates Jericho as having become — what it bad not been originally (see Josh, xxi 1 Chron. vi) — on», of the great stations at which they and the priests resided (Light- foot, Cent. Chorof/raph. c. 47). In John i, 19 they appear as delegates of the Jews — that is, of the Sanhedrim — coming to inquire into the credentials of the Baptist, and giving utterance to their own Messianic expectations. The mention of a Levite of Cyprus in Acts iv, 3G, shows that the changes of the previous century had carried that tribe also into " the dispersed among tlie Gentiles." The conversion of Barnabas and ]Mark was probably no solitary instance of the reception by them of the new faith, which was the fulfilment of the old. If -'a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts vi, 7), it is not too bold to believe that their influence may have led Levites to follow their example ; and thus the old psalms, and possibly also the old chants of the Temple service, might be transmitted through the agen- cy of those who had been specially trained in them to be the inheritance of the Christian Church. Later on in the history of the first century, when the Temple had received its final completion under the younger Agrippa, we find one section of the tribe engaged in a new move- ment. AVlth that strange unconsciousness of a coming diMjm whicli so often marks the last stage of a decaying system, tlie singers of the Temple thought it a fitting time to apply for the right of wearing the same linen garment as the priests, and jiersuaded the king that the concession of this privilege would be the glory of his reign (.Joseph. A n1. xx, 8, G). The other Levites at the same time aslted for and obtained the privilege of join- ing ill the Teni]ilc choruses, from which hitherto they had been excluded. Tlie destruction of the Temple so soon after they had attained the object of their desires came as with a grim irony to sweep away their occupa- tion, and so to deprive them of every vestige of that wliich had distinguished tlieni from other Israelites. They were merged in the crowd of captives that were scattered over the Roman world, and disappear from the stage of liistorv. The rabbinic scliools, tliat rose out of tlie ruins of tlie Jewish polity, fostered a studied and habitual depreciation of the lA'vitical order as compared with llieir own teachers (S\-(^a\\\. (lid I'tiths. \>. A'iih). liulividiial families, it may be, elierishcd the tradition that their fathers, as priests or Levites, had taken part ill the services of the Temple, 'If their claims were rec- ognised, they received the old marks of reverence in the worship of the synagogue (comp, the Kegidations of the Great Synagogue of London, in JlargoLiouth's Hist, of
the Jews in Great Britain, iii, 270), took precedence in reading the lessons of the day (Lightfoot, Ilor. Ileb. on Matt, iv, 23), and pronounced the blessing at the close (Basnage, Jlist. des Juifs, vi,790). Their existence was acknowledged in some of the laws of the Christian em- perors (Basnage, /. c). The tenacity with which the exiled race climg to these recollections is shown in the prevalence of the names (Cohen, and Levita or Levy) which imply that those who bear them are of the sons of Aaron or the tribe of Levi, and in the custom which exempts the first-born of priestly or Levitical families from the payments which are still offered, in the case of others, as the redemption of the first-born (Leo of ^NIo- dena, in Picart's Ceremonies Religieuses, i, 26; Allen's Modern Judaism, p. 297). In the mean time, the old name had acquired a new signification. The early writ- ers of the Christian Church applied to the later hierar- chy the language of the earlier, and gave to the bishops and presbyters the title (ifpstf) that had belonged to the sons of Aaron, while the deacons were habitually spoken of as Levites (Suicer, Thes. s. v. Atviri-ic).
Though the destruction of the Temple and the dis- persion of the Jews have necessarily done away with, the Levitical duties which were strictly local, yet the Levites, like the priests, still exist, have to this day cer- tain functions to perform, and continue to enjoy certain privileges and immunities. On those festivals whereon the priests pronounce the benediction on the congrega- tion of Israel during the morning service, as prescribed in Numb, vi, 22-27, the Levites have " to wait on the priests," and wash their hands prior to the giving of the said blessing. At the reading of the law in the syna- gogue, the Levite is called to the second section, the first being assigned to the priest. See Haphtakaii. Moreover, like the priests, the Levites are exempt from redeeming their first-born, and this exemption even ex- tends to women of the tribe of Levi who marrj' Israel- ites, i. e. Jews of any other tribe.
IV. Literature. — ^Slishna, Eracliin, ii, 3-G ; Tamid, vii, 3,4; Siicca,\,A:; Biklurim, iu,i; Maimonidcs, ./of///a- Chezaka, Uilchoth Kele Ila-Mikdash, iii, 1-11 ; INIichael- is. Commentaries on the Laivs of Moses, sec. 52 (English translation, i, 252 sq.) ; Biihr, Si/mbolik des Mosaischen Cultus, ii, 3, 39, 1G5, 342, 428 ; Herzfeld, Geschichte des Volkes Israel von der Ztrstdrung des ersten Tempels, p. 12G, 204, 387-424 (Bruns. 1847) ; the same, Geschichte des Volkes Israel von der Vollendung des ziceiten Tempels, i, 55-58, G3-GG, 141 (Nordhausen, 1855) ; Saalschlitz, Das Mosaische liecht, i, 89-lOG (Beri. 1853) ; the same, Arch- aologie der llebrder, vol. ii, ch. Ixxviii, p. 342 (Konigsb. 1856) ; Kcil, Ilandhuch der hihlischen A rchaoloyie, i, IGO (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1858) ; Kalisch, Historical and Critical Commentary on Genesis, p. 735-744 (Lond. 1848); Brown, Antiquities, i, 301-347 ; Godwyn, Moses amlAa- 7-on, i, 5; AVitsius, Dissert. II. de Theocrat. Israelitar.; Jennings, Antiquities, p. 184-206; Carpzov, Apparut. Crit. (see Index) ; Saubert, Comm. de Sacerdot. et sacris Hahr. personis, in 0pp. p. 283 sq. ; Grambcrg, Krit. Ge- schichte d. lieligionsideen des Alten Test, vol. i, c. iii ; Re- land, A ntiq. Sacr. ii, G ; Ugolino, Sacerdot. Ilebr. ch. xii, in his Thesaur. vol. xiii; }ich&c\\t, Animadvers. ad 1 ken. p. 525 sq. ; Bauer, Gottesd.Verfassung. ii, 377 sq. ; Otho, Lex. Bab. p. 3G8 sq. ; Willisch, Be f liis Levitaruni (Lips. 1708).