Gershon, Gershonites

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GERSHON, GERSHONITES

GERSHON, GERSHONITES (Heb. גֵּרְשׁוֹן; in Chron. usually Gershom, גֵּרְשׁוֹם, גֵּרְשֹׁם), the eldest son of Levi, from whom a division of the Levites traced their descent (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16–17; Num. 3:17ff.; Josh. 21:6, 27; i Chron. 5:27; 6:1). The clan descended from Gershon is designated "Gershonites" (Heb. הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִי; e.g., Num. 3:21). Two sons of Gershon, Libni and Shimei, are also mentioned (Ex. 6:17; Num. 3:18; i Chron. 6:2); in i Chronicles 23:7 and 26:21 Ladan is used in place of Libni. After the exile, very little mention is made of the Gershonites as such. However, the distinguished guild of Asaphites is said to be descended from Gershon (i Chron. 6:24–28 [39–43]), and 128 (Ezra 2:41), or 148 (Neh. 7:44), of the Asaphites are reported to have taken up residence in Jerusalem. They led the music at the laying of the foundation of the Temple (Ezra 3:10) and blew the trumpets at the dedication of the city walls (Neh. 12:35). The traditions that make Gershon the eldest son of Levi presumably originated in a period in which the Gershonite clan was significant. Yet in terms of their position in the levitical hierarchy, the Kohathites seem to rank higher in that they transported the sacred vessels of the tabernacle including the ark (Levine).

The biblical sources describe four stages in the history of the Gershonites. These sources are of mixed historical value.

(1) According to the Book of Numbers, during the desert wanderings, the clans encamped behind the Tabernacle, to the west (Num. 3:23). In the census of the Levites from the age of one month up, the recorded entries of all the Gershonite males came to 7,500 (3:22), and the entries of males from the age of 30 through 50 came to 2,630 (4:39–40). Their duty was to carry the hangings which comprised the Tabernacle proper, the outer coverings and the hangings of the court, with their cords, and the altar and accessories (3:25–26; 4:24–26; cf. 10:17), for which they were assigned two carts and four oxen, as required for their service (7:7). They were under the direction of Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron the priest. Given the arrangement of the Israelites according to degel in these narratives, a feature known from the archives from *Elephantine of the fifth century b.c.e., it is to that period that we must assign the desert traditions concerning the Gershonites. (2) After the settlement in the land, the Gershonites were assigned 13 cities in the tribal territories of the half-clan of Manasseh on the eastern side of the Jordan and of the clans of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, on the western side (Josh. 21:6, 27–33; i Chron. 6:47, 56–61). Several scholars date these lists to the eighth century.

(3) According to the Chronicler, at the direction of David the Temple music was conducted partly by Asaph, a Gershonite, and his family (e.g., i Chron. 25:1–2). David also appointed the clan to undertake service in the Temple when he organized the Levites into divisions "according to the sons of Levi" (23:6–11; 26:20ff.).

The last time the Gershonites are mentioned as such is in the list of Levites who took part in the cleansing of the Temple under Hezekiah (ii Chron. 29:12–13). Here the Gershonites are moved to third position.