Topical Bible: Levites: Owned Lands

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The Levites, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, were set apart for religious duties and service to the Lord. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites were not allocated a specific territory in the Promised Land. Instead, their inheritance was the Lord Himself, as stated in Deuteronomy 10:9 : "That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him."

Despite not receiving a contiguous territory, the Levites were provided with cities and surrounding pasturelands within the territories of the other tribes. This arrangement ensured that the Levites could fulfill their priestly and religious duties throughout Israel. Numbers 35:2-3 instructs, "Command the Israelites to give the Levites cities to live in from the inheritance they possess, and you are also to give the Levites pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be theirs to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their cattle, flocks, and all their other livestock."

The distribution of these cities is further detailed in Joshua 21, where forty-eight cities were designated for the Levites. These cities were strategically spread across the land, ensuring that the Levites were accessible to all Israelites for religious instruction and service. Among these cities were six cities of refuge, which provided asylum for those who had committed manslaughter unintentionally (Joshua 21:13-38).

The Levites' unique position without a territorial inheritance underscores their role as spiritual leaders and mediators between God and the people of Israel. Their sustenance was provided through the tithes and offerings of the Israelites, as outlined in Numbers 18:21 : "Behold, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the Tent of Meeting."

This arrangement highlights the Levites' dependence on the faithfulness of the other tribes to support them, reflecting their reliance on God and His provision through His people. The Levites' lack of a territorial inheritance served as a constant reminder of their distinct calling and dedication to the service of the Lord and His sanctuary.

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Deuteronomy 18:8
They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which comes of the sale of his patrimony.
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1 Kings 2:26
And to Abiathar the priest said the king, Get you to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death: but I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because you have been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
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How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... the ark with them; then went the Levites bearing the ... when she was brought to him,
Joshua owned to her ... her; whereupon he gave her certain lands immediately, and ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... to the buildings of their churches and places suitable for burial that they are
to possess, without any molestation, those buildings and lands, namely, which ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm