Levites in the new testament

The Levites are a group of priests and temple officials in the Old Testament, descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob. While the Levites are not mentioned by name in the New Testament, their descendants and successors are mentioned several times. Here are some references to Levites or their descendants in the New Testament:

  1. Matthew 8:5-13 - Jesus heals the servant of a centurion, who is described as having "a servant, a Levite" (Matthew 8:6).
  2. Luke 1:5-25 - Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is described as a priest "of the division of Abijah" (Luke 1:5), which was one of the 24 divisions of the Levites.
  3. Luke 2:36-38 - Anna, a prophet and a widow, is described as a "daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was of great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:36-38). While not specifically identified as a Levite, her devotion to the temple and her age suggest that she may have been a descendant of the Levites.
  4. Acts 4:1-22 - The apostles Peter and John are arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, which includes "the high priest, and all who were with him, that is, the sect of the Sadducees" (Acts 4:5). The Sadducees were a group of Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection or the afterlife, and were often opposed to the Pharisees, who were more conservative and traditional.
  5. Hebrews 7:5-10 - The author of Hebrews writes about the Levites and their role in the Old Testament, noting that they were "tithes of men" (Hebrews 7:5) and that they "serve at a sanctuary, which is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (Hebrews 8:5). The author also notes that Jesus is a priest "in the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:6), rather than the Levitical order.

In summary, while the Levites are not mentioned by name in the New Testament, their descendants and successors are mentioned several times. The New Testament also references the Levitical system and the role of the Levites in the Old Testament, often to contrast it with the new covenant established through Jesus Christ.