Levi 246921 221147030 2008-06-23T06:50:13Z 72.0.209.68 /* Priestly */ {{POV-check|date=December 2007}} {{Weasel}} :''This article discusses the Biblical patriarch. See [[Levi Strauss]] for the inventor of jeans, [[Levites]] for the Biblical tribe, or [[Matthew the Evangelist]] for the disciple sometimes known as "Levi". For other names and surnames, see [[Levi (disambiguation)]].'' '''Levi'''/'''Levy''', <small>[[Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew|Standard]]</small> ''Levy'' ''לוי'' <small>[[Tiberian vocalization|Tiberian]]</small> ''{{Unicode|Lēwî}}'' ; "joining") was, according to the [[Book of Genesis]], the third son of [[Jacob]] and [[Leah]], and the founder of the [[Israelites|Israelite Tribe]] of [[Levites|Levi]] (the ''levites''). The text of the [[Torah]] argues that the name of ''Levi'' refers to Leah's hope for Jacob to ''[[coitus|join]]'' with her, implying a derivation from ''yillaweh'', meaning ''he will join''. ==Ancestral== In the [[Book of Genesis]], Levi is described as having fathered three sons - [[Gershon]], [[Kohath]], and [[Merari]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|46:11|}}</ref>. A similar genealogy is given in the [[Book of Exodus]], where it is added that among Kohath's sons was one - [[Amram]] - who married a woman named [[Jochebed]], who was closely related to his father, and between them were the biological parents of [[Moses]], [[Aaron]], and [[Miriam]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Exodus|6:16-20|}}</ref>; though some Greek and Latin manuscripts of the Torah state that Jochebed was Amram's father's cousin, the [[masoretic text]] states that she was [[incest|his father's sister]]<ref>''[[New American Bible]]'', footnote to Exodus 6:20</ref>, and the [[Septuagint]] mentions that she was ''one of'' his ''father's sisters''. The masoretic text's version of Levi's genealogy thus implies (but doesn't state) that Levi also had a daughter (Jochebed), and the Septuagint implies further daughters. The names of Levi's sons, and possible daughter, are interpreted in [[classical rabbinical literature]] as being reflections on their future destiny<ref>''[[Numbers Rabbah]]'' 3:12</ref>. In some [[apocrypha]]l texts such as the ''[[Testament of Levi]]'', and the [[Book of Jubilees]], Levi's wife, his children's mother, is named as ''Milkah'', a daughter of [[Aram]]<ref>Jubilees 34:20</ref><ref>''Testament of Levi'' 11</ref>. Advocates of the [[Documentary Hypothesis]] attribute the genealogy to the [[Book of Generations]], a document originating from a similar [[wiktionary:religiopolitical|religiopolitical]] group and date to the [[priestly source]]<ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who Wrote The Bible?''</ref>. According to some Biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the levites - the [[Gershonite]]s, [[Kohathite]]s, [[Merarite]]s, and Aaronids<ref>''Peake's commentary on the Bible''</ref>; Aaron - the eponymous ancestor of the Aaronids - couldn't be portrayed as a brother to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as the narrative about the birth of Moses (brother of Aaron), which these scholars attribute to the earlier [[Elohist]] source, mentions only that both his parents were Levites (without identifying their names)<ref>{{Bibleverse||Exodus|2:1-2|}}</ref>. Some Biblical scholars suspect that the Elohist account both [[matrilinear descent|matrilinial]] and [[patrilinear descent|patrilinial]] descent from Levites in order to magnify the religious credentials of Moses<ref>''Peake's commentary on the Bible''</ref>. Assuming that the masoretic text/Septuagint is accurate in respect to Jochebed, the family tree of Levi's immediate descendants would be as follows: {{familytree/start}} {{familytree | }} {{familytree | | | | | | | | | LEV |~|y|~| MEL | | LEV=[[Levi]]|MEL=[[Melcha]]}} {{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | }} {{familytree | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| }} {{familytree | | | | | | | | GER | | KOH | | MER | | JOC| GER=[[Gershon]]|KOH=[[Kohath]]|MER=[[Merari]]|JOC=[[Jochebed]]}} {{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | }} {{familytree | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|^|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| }} {{familytree | | | | | | | AMR | | IZH | | HEB | | UZZ | AMR=[[Amram]]|IZH=[[Izhar]]|HEB=[[Hebron (Biblical figure)|Hebron]]|UZZ=[[Uzziel]]}} {{familytree | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | }} {{familytree | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | }} {{familytree | | | MIR | | AAR | | MOS | | | MIR=[[Miriam]]|AAR=[[Aaron]]|MOS=[[Moses]]}} {{familytree | }} {{familytree/end}} ==Priestly== In accordance with his role as founder of the Levites, Levi is occasionally referred to in the Bible as being particularly [[piety|pious]]. The [[Blessing of Moses]], which textual scholars attribute to period just before the [[deuteronomist]]<ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who wrote the Bible''</ref>, speaks about Levi via an allegorical comparison to [[Moses]] himself<ref>Deuteronomy 33:8-10</ref>, which [[hagaddah]] take to support the characterisation of Levi (and his progeny) as being by far the greatest of his brothers in respect to piety<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref>. The [[apocrypha]]l ''[[Joseph and Aseneth|Prayer of Asenath]]'', which textual scholars believe dates from some time after the first century AD (scholarship in regards to the dating is currently quite contentious, with dates ranging from near the first century, to the fourth or fifth centuries)<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'', ''Asenath''</ref>, describes Levi as a prophet and saint, able to forecast the future, understand ''heavenly writings'' ([[astrology]] ?), and someone who admonishes the people to be forgiving, as well as in awe of [[God]]<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'', ''Levi''</ref>. The [[Book of Malachi]] argues that the Levites were chosen by [[Yahweh]] to be the priests, because Levi was always accurate, having never lied, specified only the true religious regulations, was reverent, revered Yahweh, was in awe of the [[Tetragrammaton]], [[pacifism|upheld peace]], was a model of good [[morality]], and turned many people from sin<ref>{{bibleverse||Malachi|2:4-6|NIV}}</ref> In the ''[[Testament of Levi]]'', Levi is described as having had two visions. The first vision covered [[Jewish eschatology|eschatological]] issues, portraying the seven heavens, the [[Jewish Messiah]], and [[Judgement Day]]. The second vision portrays seven angels bringing Levi seven insignia signifying priesthood, prophecy, and judgement; in the vision, after the angels [[anoint]] Levi, and initiate him as a priest, they tell him of the future of his descendants, mentioning [[Moses]], the Aaronid priesthood, and a time when there would be priest-kings; this latter point was of particular interest to the [[Maccabees|Maccabean]] period of [[John Hyrcanus]], who was both a high priest, and warrior-king, though according to textual scholars this is to be expected, since the Testament of Levi was written during Maccabean rule, between 153BC and 107BC, and closer to the latter date<ref>{{1911}}</ref>. The [[Book of Jubilees]] similarly has Isaac telling Levi of the future of his descendants, again predicting priesthood, prophets, and political power<ref>Jubilees 31:12-17</ref>, and additionally describes Jacob as entrusting Levi with ''the secrets of the ancients'', so that they would be known only to the Levites<ref>Jubilees 45:16</ref>; however, like the Testament of Levi, the Book of Jubilees is regarded as a Maccabean document by scholars<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'', ''Book of Jubilees''</ref>. ==Vengeful== In a Biblical narrative, Levi and [[Simeon (Biblical figure)|Simeon]] destroy the city of [[Shechem]] in revenge for the [[rape of Dinah]], seizing the wealth of the city, and killing the men<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|34|}}</ref>; the narrative also mentions that the brothers had earlier misled the denizens of Shechem, by consenting to Dinah's rapist marrying her, and when Jacob hears about the destruction of Shechem by Simeon and Levi, he castigates them for it<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|34:30-31|}}</ref>. In the [[Blessing of Jacob]], Jacob is described as imposing a curse on the Levites, by which they would be scattered, in punishment for Levi's actions in Shechem<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|49:-7|}}</ref>; textual scholars date the ''Blessing of Jacob'' to a period between just one and two centuries prior to the Babylonian captivity<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref><ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who wrote the Bible?''</ref>, and some Biblical scholars regard this ''curse'', and Dinah herself as an aetiological postdiction to explain the fates of the tribe of Simeon and the Levites, the simpler explanation of the Levites' scattered nature being that the priesthood was originally open to any tribe, but gradually became seen as a distinct tribe itself (the Levites)<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref><ref>''Peake's commentary on the bible''</ref>. == See also == * [[Levite]] * [[Testament of Levi]] * [[Levi (disambiguation)]] * [[Miscegenation#Israel|Miscegenation]] {{Sons of Jacob}} ==Citations== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.cohen-levi.org/ “The Tribe: The Cohen-Levi Family Heritiage”] (cohen-levi.org) [[Category:Founders of Biblical tribes]] [[et:Leevi]] [[fa:لاوی]] [[id:Levi]] [[it:Levi (Bibbia)]] [[he:שבט לוי]] [[nl:Levi (Hebreeuwse Bijbel)]] [[pt:Levi]] [[ru:Левий]] [[fi:Leevi]] [[sv:Levi]] [[zh:利未]]