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Biography

Levi - Joined. Third son of Jacob by Leah (Gen. 29:34; 35:23); grandson of Laban, Isaac and Rebekah; brother of Judah; his sons (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16, 19; Num. 3:17); his slaughter of the Shechemites (Gen. 34:25–30); Jacob’s curse on (Gen. 49:5); his daughter (Ex. 2:1; Num. 26:59). See also Levites.

Levi (or Levy) (/ˈliːvaɪ/, Hebrew: לֵּוִי‎; Standard Levi Tiberian Lēwî) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, grandson of Laban, Isaac and Rebekah, brother of Judah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites) and the great-grandfather and grandfather of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Certain religious and political functions were reserved for the Levites.

Marriage and Family

In the Book of Genesis, Levi is described as having fathered three sons—Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 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.

They were the biological parents of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; 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 his father's sister,[11] and the Septuagint mentions that she was one of his father's sisters. The Masoretic Text's version of Levi's genealogy thus implies (and in Numbers 26:59, explicitly states) 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. In some apocryphal texts such as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, his children's mother, is named as Milkah, a daughter of Aram.

Genesis Narrative


11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Genesis 46:11 - KJV translation


Exodus 6 Narrative

Genealogy of the sons of Levi down to the prophets - Moses and Aaron :


16 ¶ And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.
17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.
18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.
19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.
20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
21 ¶ And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.
25 And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.
26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.
27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 6:16-27 - KJV - Genealogy of Moses


Children


Offspring of Levi and Milkah, daughter of Aram.
Name Birth Death Joined with
Gershon ben Levi
Kohath ben Levi 9999 Land of Canaan 9999 Egypt
Merari ben Levi
Jochebed, daughter of Levi 9999 Cainan 9999 Land of Canaan Amram ben Kohath



Siblings


Offspring of Jacob ben Isaac and Leah, daughter of Laban
Name Birth Death Joined with
Reuben ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Reuben, Goshen, Egypt Eliuram, daughter of Ewi the Canaanite
Simeon ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Simeon, Goshen, Egypt Bonah of Shechem
Levi ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Levi, Goshen, Egypt Milkah, daughter of Aram.
Judah ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Judah, Goshen, Egypt Daughter of Shau
Tamar
Issachar ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Issachar, Goshen, Egypt Aridah bat Jobab
Zebulun ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Zebulun, Goshen, Egypt
Dinah, daughter of Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Goshen, Egypt Shechem


Offspring of Jacob ben Isaac and Rachel, daughter of Laban
Name Birth Death Joined with
Dan ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Dan, Goshen, Egypt
Naphtali ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Naphtali, Goshen, Egypt


Offspring of Jacob ben Isaac and Bilhah
Name Birth Death Joined with
Gad ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Gad, Goshen, Egypt Uzith bat Amuram
Asher ben Jacob 9999 City of Harran, Padan-aram, Mesopotamia 9999 Tribe of Asher, Goshen, Egypt Hadurah


Offspring of Jacob ben Isaac and Zilpah
Name Birth Death Joined with
Joseph ben Jacob 9999 Land of Canaan 9999 Egypt Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah
Benjamin ben Jacob 9999 Land of Canaan 9999 Land of Canaan


References


Footnotes (including sources)

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