Levites are the priests of the Israelites
Levites were the Israelite tribe chosen to be the priests of all twelve tribes of Jewish believers. The name derives from the tribe of Levi and of the twelve tribes of Israelites. The tribe of Levi was not given property in the promise land. This was because the God of Israel appointed this tribe to be the spiritual leaders of all the tribes.
Teaching
The main duty of the Levitical priesthood was to teach the law that is outlined in the first five books of the Bible or Torah. These five books are called the Pentateuch, meaning law books. This law was given to Moses by the God of Israel as the rules of which each Israelite should live. It was also a history book from when time began and the genealogical line from the time of Adam and Eve.
Offering Sacrifices
It was the duty of the Levitical priesthood to offer sacrifices to the God of Israel for the peoples sins. One the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) animal sacrifice was done at the temple in Jerusalem to atone for the sins of individuals and all the Israelites throughout the year. This practice is no longer done because the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD. Prayer has been instituted as a form of worship in today's Jewish beliefs.
Maintaining the Temple
The Levitical priests are responsible for maintaining the temples of the Jewish faith. This includes cleaning and preparation for sabbath. The priests also conduct the sabbath service which involves singing, music and reading from the Torah. Each Levitical priest is assigned a duty during the sabbath service and is responsible for that part.
Inspecting Unclean Persons
Exodus 30:7-10 of the Torah defines what is considered an unclean person in the Jewish faith. One of the Levitical duties was to inspect the suspected unclean person and determine whether they should be separated from the rest of the community because of unclean act.
Judge Disputes
The Levitical priest would be called upon to adjudicate disputes. Any argument between persons of the Jewish faith would be taken in front of the priest to be judged. In Leviticus chapters 13 and 14, there are examples of this duty. Whether it be property, contract or other legal disputes the priest would act as the judge and decide who was right and wrong. This was done instead of taking the case in front of a secular court.
Tax Collectors
Levitical priests were also the tax collectors of the Jewish community. They would determine how much a each person or family owed and would collect that amount for the temple treasury. These taxes were used to fund the temple, its storehouse and the priests themselves. This tax collecting duty is outlined in Deuteronomy 17:8-13 of the Torah.
Tags: Jewish faith, duty Levitical, duty Levitical priesthood, five books, Levitical priest, Levitical priesthood