Levites

The Levites were the descendants of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. God set them apart to serve in religious duties for Israel. While all priests came from the tribe of Levi, not all Levites were priests. The Levites assisted the priests (who were descendants of Aaron) with duties in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Unlike other tribes, the Levites did not receive a large territory in the promised land but were given cities scattered throughout Israel, along with pasturelands. This arrangement allowed them to serve all the people of Israel in religious matters.