Kohath

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Kohath is a son of the Jewish Patriarch and leader of the priesthood, Levi and his wife Melcha. He is the father of the Kohathite subtribe.

Genesis 46:11 enumerates Kohath as one of the seventy Israelites that move with Jacob's household to begin the exile in Egypt. The Book of Exodus says little about Kohath except that he lived for 133 years and fathered four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath's son Amram and Kohath's sister Jochebed are parents to Moses.

The Testament of Levi additionally tells us that Kohath was born when Levi was 35 years old at which time Levi sees a vision of him "on high in the midst of all the congregation" and gives him his name which means "beginning of majesty and instruction". By this vision, he is elevated above his other siblings; elder brother Gershon, Merari, and sister Jochebed.

In the Book of Numbers, when Moses counts the Levites, the Kohathites are identified as being responsible for care of the sanctuary, including "the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use." They were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

In Numbers 3:28, during The Exodus and Moses' lifetime, the Kohathites number 8,600 (as well as a total number of Israelites at 603,550), making the following Family tree a paradox. It suggests that the Family Tree is abbreviated somewhere. However, the notable inbreeding of Kohath's generation with Amram's generation makes abbreviation difficult. And as long as clans such as the Kenezzites (from which Caleb comes) become part of the Israelites' population, some of the paradox can be reconciled.