Levi

Family: Jacob's Family · Role: brother of Joseph · First appears: Joseph Cast Into The Pit

When Joseph was cast into the pit, he pleaded with Levi and his brothers to deliver him. In the year of Joseph’s misfortune, Levi married Adinah, according to the account of the sons of Jacob’s wives. Later, at Egypt, Joseph kept Simon as a hostage, and the account says Levi had joined Simon in advising that Joseph be put to death; Reuben and Judah had saved Joseph by interceding. During the same episode, Levi was among the brothers who returned home with corn after Joseph released them and ordered them to bring Benjamin back.

Jacob later consecrated Levi to the Holy One and appointed him chief of his brothers. At Raamses, Jacob declared that the priesthood would belong to Levi, while also saying that Simon and Levi’s possessions would be divided among the other tribes. He said Levi’s descendants would be scholars who expounded the Torah and rendered decisions according to its teachings. In the account of Pharaoh’s son, Levi and Simon refused a proposal to kill Joseph; later, Levi restrained Benjamin from striking the wounded son, tended his wounds, and took him to Pharaoh.

In his testament, Levi recalled that he slew Shechem in vengeance for Dinah. He also recounted that he married Milcah at twenty-eight and had Gershom; Kohath was born in his thirty-fifth year, Merari in his fortieth, and Jochebed in Egypt when he was sixty-three. He said God had bestowed the priesthood upon him. At 137, Levi died after gathering his children to recount his life and admonish them; the account says Israel’s suffering began after his death.