Some of the cities and land
given to the Levites
And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs, And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, and Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.-Joshua 21:8-16***Aaron and his older sister Miriam and their younger brother Moses were born in Egypt into the tribe of Levi to Amram and Jochebed, Israelites descended from Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel) and his 1st wife Leah, and Jacob and Leah's 3rd born son Levi. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that Levi, Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and Bilhah, the maidservant of Jacob's 2nd wife Rachel. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph and Benjamin were born to Jacob and Rachel. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when the Lord God sent them to speak to the Israelite elders and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The elders believed the words of the Lord God spoken by Aaron. Pharaoh did not believe, and he made work for the enslaved Israelites more difficult. After the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to get the Israelites and their animals and go worship the Lord God. Moreover, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to bless him. Before Moses and Aaron led the Israelites, and those with them, away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, into the desert wilderness of Shur, and the desert wilderness of Sin, the Israelites asked for and were given an abundance of valuable goods, fulfilling the words that the Lord God spoke to Abraham. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Israelites heard the voice of the Lord God proclaim the Ten Commandments to them, and the Lord God began giving Moses judgments, statutes and laws for the Israelites, and the Lord God made a covenant with the Israelites, and the Israelites said they would obey the words of the Lord God. The laws described the penalties to occur after any intentional or unintentional killing. When Moses was upon Mount Sinai 40 days and nights with the Lord God, the Lord God gave Moses commands about the offering willing Israelites were to bring, and the Lord God described to Moses and showed Moses the likeness of the tabernacle, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the other sacred items the Israelites were commanded to make, and the Lord God told Moses that only Aaron, and Aaron's sons and the sons born to their descendants were to serve the Lord God as priests. Meanwhile, the Israelites thought they were abandoned and told Aaron to make gods to lead them. Aaron told the Israelites to bring him their gold earrings, and Aaron made a golden calf that the Israelites sacrificed to and worshiped. Before Moses returned to the Israelites, the Lord God spoke to Moses about the Sabbath day and Sabbath day laws and punishments, and the Lord God gave Moses 2 stone tablets whereupon were written, with the finger of God, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord God told Moses about the golden calf. When Moses saw the golden calf and the actions of the Israelites, he threw down the 2 stone tablets, and burned and ground the golden calf, and questioned Aaron, and asked the congregation a question. The Levites, the Israelites in the tribe of Levi, gathered alongside Moses and killed approximately 3,000 of their idol worshiping brethren, according to the command that the Lord God gave Moses. Before the Israelites moved away from the Sinai region, the Lord God spoke to Moses about the Levites, and the duties the Levites, the families descended from Levi's sons Gershon, Kohath and Merari, were to follow at the tabernacle as the only assistants to the priests, and the Lord God said that he had taken the Levites for himself. Caleb was from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, descended from Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, their firstborn son Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. In the desert wilderness of Paran, Moses sent Caleb, Joshua and 10 other spies to Canaan, the Promised Land, according to the command of the Lord God and a request made by the Israelites. The spies returned with some of the fruit grown in Canaan and 2 different reports. Ten of the spies spoke about the gigantic descendants of Anak and other gigantic and strong inhabitants, and the height of the walls around the cities. Caleb and Joshua spoke about the potential victory awaiting them according to the will of the Lord God. While the Israelites were still in Paran, the Lord God told Aaron that Aaron was not to have any inheritance in Canaan, and not have any portion among the Israelites, and the Lord God told Aaron that the Lord God is Aaron's portion and inheritance. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died, and Aaron's son Eleazar became his successor. Near Canaan, the Israelites in the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad asked to be given some of the land recently conquered. Moses spoke to the Reubenites and Gadites, and after the terms presented were agreed upon, Moses gave the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh the land requested. Shortly thereafter, the Lord God told Moses to command the Israelites to give the Levites cities and pastures from each tribe's portion of the Promised Land, 48 cities altogether. Six of the cities were to be cities of refuge for anyone involved in an unintentional killing, with 3 of the cities in the region given to the Reubenites, Gadites and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died, and was divinely buried. Joshua was Moses' aide and successor. After the Lord God spoke to Joshua, and Joshua sent 2 spies to Canaan, and Rahab hid the spies, and the spies returned, Joshua led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. The Israelites, led by Joshua, destroyed Jericho, and Ai, and other kingdoms and kings before Joshua, Eleazar and the 10 tribal leaders, including Caleb, specified by the Lord God began allotting each tribe its portion of the Promised Land, according to the commands that the Lord God gave Moses and Joshua. In Shiloh, the Levites asked to be given their cities. The tribe of Jacob and Leah's 2nd born son Simeon and the tribe of Judah gave 9 cities altogether: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Juttah, Ain, and Beth-shemesh. Bethlehem-judah was in the portion of the Promised Land allotted to the tribe of Judah. Over 300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died, and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Saul, from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin, became the 1st king to reign. Approximately 1,000 years after David, from the tribe of Judah, became the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:1-11, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Information
suburbs = migraseha/migrash/migrashah/garash = common land, open country, pastureland, open country or space
Reference Scriptures
And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs, and Hillen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, And Ashan with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs: And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.-1 Chronicles 6:57-60...And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names.-1 Chronicles 6:65
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