LEVITE CITIES

Jacob foretold that Levi would be scattered in Israel (Gen. 49:5-7) and this took place when the Hebrews occupied the Promised Land. The Levites were given no territorial allotment, Jehovah being their inheritance. (Num. 18:20; Deut. 18:1, 2) But God directed that the other tribes of Israel give them a total of forty-eight cities and surrounding pasture grounds. (Num. 35:1-8) Such cities were ultimately assigned to the Levites (Josh. 21:1-8), thirteen of them being priestly cities. (Josh. 21:19) Of the forty-eight, six cities were assigned as cities of refuge for unintentional manslayers. (Josh. 20:7-9; see CITIES OF REFUGE.) The Levites had the right to repurchase houses they sold within their cities at any time, or these were restored to them during the Jubilee year. But the pasturelands adjacent to their cities were never to be sold.—Lev. 25:32-34; see LEVITES.