What Are the Three Tribes of Levi?
- Gershon was the oldest son of Levi. His descendants make up the Tribe of Gershon. Libni and Shimei were his sons. During the travels of the Tribe of Levi, Gershonites were charged with the transportation of the cloth goods of the Tabernacle. These goods included the tent and coverings, doorway curtains, hangings and cords. Within the Tabernacle, the Tribe of Levi was located on the westward side. Members of the Tribe of Gershon were singers and doorkeepers within the Tabernacle. The Tribe of Gershon possessed 13 northern cities, two of which were cities of refuge.
- Kehat was the second son of Levi. His sons included Moses and Aaron. When traveling with the Tabernacle, the Tribe of Kehat transported the sacred artifacts of the Tribe of Levi. These artifacts included the ark, the altars and tables, the candlestick, hangings and vessels. The sons of Aaron placed coverings on these artifacts. None was to be removed nor were the artifacts to be touched. Should either of these occur, the offender would die. Many of the members of the Tribe of Kohat were judges or singers in the sanctuary.
- The Kohen family is a special sect of the Tribe of Kehat. They were the priests of the Temple. Their duties included making offerings to God. Some of these offerings included incense, but others were sacrificial offerings. As time passed, priests were not just members of the Kohen family. Eventually, members of the Kohen family were given no special consideration to become priests within the Temple.
- Merari was the youngest of Levi's sons. His sons were Jeduthun and Ethan. During travel of the Tabernacle, the Tribe of Merari was responsible for transporting structural pieces. These included the pillars, pins, bars, pillars and boards. Their ranks included singers in the choir and doorkeepers, much like the Gershonites, and some of the lower ranking members of the Tribe of Kehat. Members of the Tribe of Merari were the recipients of 12 cities from Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.