Bible Figure
Levi
in Genesis, the third son of Jacob and a brother of Joseph
Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe set apart for Israel's priestly and sanctuary service.
Biography
Genesis 29 records Levi's birth to Leah. In Genesis 34 Levi and Simeon retaliated for the violation of their sister Dinah by deceitfully attacking and killing the men of Shechem, an act Jacob later condemned in his final blessing. Levi went with Jacob to Egypt, and his descendants included Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Through Kohath came Moses and Aaron. After the Exodus, the tribe of Levi was set apart for sanctuary service, while Aaron's descendants served as priests.
Biblical Significance
Levi's personal story includes serious violence, yet his descendants later received a distinctive role in Israel's worship. The tribe's dispersion among Israel also gave a new historical form to Jacob's words that Simeon and Levi would be scattered.