What is the difference between the priests and the Levites?
Ezra 6:19 - 22
NKJV - 19 And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
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Anonymous
All priests came from the Israelite tribe of Levi. Not all Levites were priests, but all priests were Levites. For more information about the Levites and other activities besides the priesthood they were involved in, please see http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002731 .
Joesph Magaro
Supporter
All priests were to be from the line of Aaron, who was one of many sons of Levi, but if you were only of the tribe of Levi and not a descendent of Aaron meant you could not or should become a priest or a high priest. There were 82 High Priests from Aaron to AD 70, the destruction of the Temple. All but perhaps one was a direct line from Aaron. Numbers 3:6-9 The tribe of Levi serves (Aaron). they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle. They took care of the temple, making repairs when needed, and served as musicians, singers, doorkeepers. (Doorkeepers in Hebrew is Shamar.) EX 30:30 Moses "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
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