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DETAILS
Those of the family of Gershon were called Gershonites. The Gershonites camped behind the tabernacle, westward. At the time of the flight from Egypt there were seven thousand, five hundred male Gershonites. God appointed Ellasaph, the son of Lael to be their leader. The duties of the Gershonites were to manage and transport the tabernacle, the tent with it's covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle, the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which were around the tabernacle and the alter, and their cords. Click here to see a map of where the tribes camped in relation to the tabernacle.
Those of the second Levite tribe were the descendants of Kohath. They were called Kohathites. They camped on the south side of the tabernacle. The Kohathites were numbered eight thousand, six hundred. Their leader was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel. The duties given to the Kohathites were to manage and transport the Ark, the table, the lamp stand, the alters, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
The third Levite tribe was the Merarites, descendants of Levi's third son, Merari. The Merarites were divided into two separate tribes, the Mahlites and the Mushites. Both tribes camped on the north side of the tabernacle, near where Moses and Aaron and his sons camped. There were six thousand, two hundred male members of the Mahlite and Mushite tribes. The leader of the two tribes was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. God commanded the Mahlites and Mushites to manage and transport the boards of the tabernacle, it's bars, it's pillars, it's sockets, it's utensils, and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords. |
