Kohathites

The Kohathites are a Levitical clan described in the Hebrew Bible as descendants of Kohath, the son of Levi. They are one of the three main Levitical families, alongside the Gershonites and Merarites, and they play a central role in the organization of sanctuary duties during the Israelite wilderness and in the Temple era.

In the wilderness, the Kohathites were assigned to bear the most holy objects of the Tabernacle. Their charge included the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand, and certain other sacred vessels, carried under the supervision of the high priest and by order of Moses. They were to handle these items with great care and were not to touch the sacred objects themselves; the vessels were to be covered and moved in accordance with ritual instructions. The other Levitical families, Gershonites and Merarites, were responsible for the fabric coverings and the structural components of the sanctuary, respectively.

Genealogy and notable figures emphasize the Kohathite origin. Amram, a son of Kohath, is the father of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron, making Moses and Aaron descendants of the Kohathites. Korah, another Kohathite, is known for his rebellion against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 16, an event that led to his and his followers’ punishment.

In later biblical periods, Kohathites continued to be listed among the Levitical families responsible for sanctuary service in the Temple. Their duties were part of the broader Levitical system that organized worship, ritual duties, and care for sacred objects within the Israelite sanctuary and temple communities.

Summary: The Kohathites were a Levitical line charged with carrying the sanctuary’s most holy objects, rooted in Kohath’s lineage, and notable for ancestors such as Amram and Korah, with ongoing temple service in later periods.