Priests and Levites

This essay is a comparative study, on the portrayal of priests and Levites in Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles, and a few selected Qumran texts. Based on the idea that texts are relational, which includes that the social memory of Second Temple literati and audiences linked texts and concepts with one another, I decided to place texts across the boundaries of genres and origins in conversation with one another. I selected a few Qumran texts with references to kohen, and h-leviim to compare with Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles. I had a look at how these persons were portrayed or described in these texts, their roles, responsibilities, and privileges. I also tried to see if any persons and/or groups were chosen or promoted by these aspects. Conversations between texts across boundaries can assist in noting commonalities but especially help us to realise how the intertextual and social memory of the Second Temple literati influenced and created texts.