Kohathites

The Kohathites were the descendants of Kohath son of Levi, forming the first and most honored of the three Levitical divisions (Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites). Their distinctive responsibility in the wilderness tabernacle was the carrying and care of the most sacred objects: the ark, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the golden altar, and all the vessels of the sanctuary. Only the Aaronic priests could prepare these items for transport, wrapping them in their appointed coverings; the Kohathites then carried them on their shoulders using poles, never touching the holy objects themselves.

Moses and Aaron were Kohathites through their father Amram, giving the family its supreme prestige. In the land settlement, the Kohathites received twenty-three cities distributed among Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 21:4–26). The sons of Korah, who composed several Psalms (42, 44–49, 84–85, 87–88), were Kohathites who had survived Korah's rebellion and maintained a distinguished role in temple music and worship. Hezekiah's and Josiah's reformations both involved Kohathites in the cleansing and restoration of the temple.