(3) Further Change. In the time of David, when the number of the priests and Levites had much increased, a third and very important altera tion was effected, as much, or more, with refer ence to the Temple, for which he made every pos sible preparation, as for the existing service at the Tabernacle. While the priests were divided into twenty-four courses that they might attend the Temple in rotation weekly,and only officiate about two weeks in the year, the Levites were also di vided into twenty-four courses. In the book of Chronicles we have four times twenty-four courses of Levites mentioned but all their employments are not distinctly stated (t Chron. xxiii :7-23; xxiv :2o-31 ; xxv :1-31 ; xxvi :1-12).
(4) Classification and Offices. The most con spicuous classification is that of twenty-four courses of porters and servitors, and twenty-four of musicians.
The office of the porters was to open and shut the doors and gates of the Temple-courts, at which they also attended throughout the day to prevent the entrance of any harmful or unclean person or thing (t Citron. xxvi :17, 18). They had also the charge of the treasure-chambers in their respective wards; for we find four of the chief porters holding this trust in Chron. ix:26, and their names and the articles in their charge are given in Chron. xxvi :20-29 ; 2 Chron. xxxi: 12-14.
Besides acting as porters and servants during the day, we learn that they were also the guards of the Temple. Without entering into specific details, it may be remarked that the whole number of guards to the Temple, at night, is stated to have been twenty-four, of whom three were priests. These are described as having been under an overseer, called 'the man of the mountain of the house.' He went his rounds to see that the guards were at their posts: if lie found any one seated who should have been standing, he said 'Peace be unto thee ;' but if he found any one asleep, he struck him, and sometimes set fire to his clothes. (Maimon. Beth Habech. ch. viii.) (5) Musicians. We have thus seen that one division of the Levites was employed as porters during the day, and another as guards during the night; a third division served as musicians. A catalogue of these is given in Chron. xxi:i-9, according to their employments•, and another, according to their courses, in Chron. xxi :9-31. We shall have to speak of Music under that head, and need only here state that on grand occasions, when a full band was formed, the family of Heman sang in the middle (I Chron. vi :33-38), the family of Asaph on the right hand (vi :39-43), and the family of Ethan on the left. The or dinary place for the musicians, vocal and instru mental, was at the east end of the court of the priests, between the court of Israel and the altar.
It seems that the singers could never be under twelve,because that number was particularly men tioned at their first appointment (1 Chron. xxv:
9) ; but there was no objection to any larger num ber (Erachin, ut supra). The young sons of the Levites were, on such occasions only, allowed to enter the court of the priests with their fathers. that their small voices might relieve the deep bass of the men (Gcniar. tit. Succali, ch. v.) ; and for this authority was supposed to be found in Ezra iii :9.
(6) No Sacerdotal Functions. The Levites were not at liberty to exercise any properly sacer dotal functions; but on extraordinary_ occasions they were permitted to assist in preparing the sacrifices, without, however, in any way concern ing themselves with the blood (2 Chron. xxix:34; xxx :16, 17; xxxv (7) Age and Qualifications. In Num. iv:3 the Levites are described as commencing their actual service at thirty years of age; but in Num. viii :24, 25, twenty-five is the age mentioned; and in Chron. xxiii :24, 25, and Ezra iii :8, twenty. The reason of these apparent discrepancies is, that from twenty-five to thirty they were in the state of probationers, doing some things, but excluded from others (Aben Ezra, on Num. viii). At thirty they became qualified for every part of the Levitical service. This was under the Tabernacle; but when the Temple was built, and bodily strength was less required, the age was reduced to twenty. After fifty they were no longer called upon to serve as a matter of obligation, but they might attend if they thought proper, and perform any usual service which was not considered burdensome. Thus, in the wilderness, they ceased at that age to carry any part of the burdens when the arlc and Tabernacle were removed (Num. viii :25, 26).
(8) Consecration. When the Levitical body was first set apart for its sacred duties, the exist ing members were consecrated in the manner par ticularly described in Num. viii :6, 22. They, and in them their descendants, were thus inducted into their particular office; and, in later times, when any one became of age, it was sufficient for his admission to prove that he belonged to a Levitical family, and, probably, to offer some trifling sacri fice. It does not appear that the Levites, when at home, had any particular dress to distinguish them from their countrymen; nor is there any positive evidence that they had any distinctive garb. even when on actual service at the taber nacle or temple. Josephus (Antiq. xx:9) relates, that only six years before the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, the Levites were allowed by Agrippa to wear a linen tunic, like the priests —an innovation with which the latter were high ly displeased. This shows that the dress of the Levites, even when on duty, had not previously been in any respect similar to that of the priests.