The Levites and the Boundaries of Israelite Identity

At a glance, the Hebrew Bible presents the Levites as a group of ritual assistants and subordinates in Israel's cult. A closer look, however, reveals a far more complicated history behind the emergence of this group in Ancient Israel. A careful reconsideration of the sources provides new insights into the origins of the Levites, their social function and location, and the development of traditions that grew around them. The social location and self-perception of the Levites evolved alongside the network of clans and tribes that grew into a monarchic society, and alongside the struggle to define religious and social identity in the face of foreign cultures. This book proposes new ways to see not only how these changes affected Levite self-perception but also the manner in which this perception affected larger trends as Israelite religion evolved into nascent Judaism. By consulting the textual record, archaeological evidence, the study of cultural memory and social-scientific models, Mark Leuchter demonstrates that the Levites emerge as boundary markers and boundary makers in the definition of what it meant to be part of "Israel."

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: Egypt, Land, and the Patron Deity in Emergent Israel Chapter 2: Moses, the Mushites, and the rise of the Levites Chapter 3: The Levites and the Early Israelite Monarchy Chapter 4: The Levites Strike Back Chapter 5: The Levite Scribes Part 1: The Composition of Deuteronomy Chapter 6: The Levite Scribes Part 2: The Development of the Jeremiah Tradition Chapter 7: From Scribes to Sages: The Levites in the Persian Period Conclusion: The Levite Legacy Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Mark Leuchter is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism in the Department of Religion at Temple University.

Review :
"Leuchter's treatment of the rise and influence of the Levites on the literature of the Hebrew Bible provides a compelling argument for understanding a complex and centuries-long textual production of a wide range of biblical texts. The ability to be concise without avoiding such difficulties of interpretation is commendable. Scholars working on the Levites and those working on textual production of the Hebrew Bible will both benefit from the insights provided by Leuchter's reasoned and nuanced analysis."--Steven Schweitzer, Reading Religion "Levites and the Boundaries of Israelite Identity will be a memorable book. It is a ground-breaking study that expands our understanding of the Levites well beyond their circumscribed role as merely servants of the priesthood. Utilizing recent advances in the study of collective memory, Leuchter offers the most up-to-date and robust reconstruction of the role of the Levites and Levitical history. Leuchter writes in a readable style, yet packs in thorough scholarship and detailed philological reading. A great achievement."--William M. Schniedewind, author of How the Bible Became a Book: The Textualization of Ancient Israel "Mark Leuchter displays a breathtakingly broad grasp of scholarship on the Hebrew Bible as he reconstructs the story of the Levites throughout Israelite history. Given the importance of the Levites, both within and behind biblical literature, scholars across the whole discipline will be thankful to Leuchter for his clear arguments, and will find much to learn and discuss from this engagingly written volume."--Ian Young, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, The University of Sydney