Kohath

Kohath was the second son of Levi (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16), and through him descended the most sacred branch of the Levitical priesthood. His son Amram was the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam—making Kohath the great-grandfather of Israel's greatest prophet and its first high priest. This genealogical centrality gave the Kohathites primacy of honor among the three Levitical clans (Gershon, Kohath, and Merari).

In the wilderness organization described in Numbers 3–4, the Kohathites were assigned the most sacred task: carrying the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the altars, and the other sanctuary vessels when Israel moved camp. They were required to carry these items on their shoulders using poles—never on carts—after the priests had wrapped each piece in its protective coverings. The prohibition against touching the holy things on pain of death (Numbers 4:15) underscored the awesome responsibility of their role. This portable temple service in the wilderness foreshadowed the later fixed priesthood, and the Kohathite families of Samuel's lineage and the sons of Korah (who wrote many Psalms) show the broad spiritual influence of Kohath's descendants.