Interesting Facts

• Merari was one of the three sons born to Levi and his wife Adinah (also known as Melka) before the descent of Jacob’s family into the land of Egypt.
• According to the testament preserved in Jasher, Merari, alongside his father Levi and his brothers Gershon and Kohath, was designated with the future sacred duty of bearing the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord during the encampments of the children of Israel. This bespeaks a significant, albeit prospective, role in the religious observances of the nascent Israelite community.
• His nativity occurred in the land of Canaan during the epoch when the house of Jacob was establishing its presence.

Genealogy

• Merari was a son born to Levi and Adinah. His mother, Adinah, was the daughter of Jobab, son of Yoktan, a scion of Eber.
• He had two elder brothers, Gershon and Kohath, who were also born before the family’s migration into Egypt.
• He also had a sister, Jochebed, who was born to Levi and Adinah during their journey down into Egypt.
• His paternal grandfather was Jacob, and his paternal grandmother was Leah.

Historical Context

Merari’s early existence was situated within the land of Canaan, a period of formative significance for the descendants of Jacob [referencing previous turns]. This was an era characterized by the multiplication of Jacob’s progeny and the laying of foundations for their tribal identities. While residing in Canaan, the family navigated the complexities of their relationships within the broader Canaanite society. The indication of Merari’s future responsibility in carrying the Ark of the Covenant reveals the nascent development of a distinct religious consciousness and the assignment of specific roles within Jacob’s lineage, even prior to their sojourn in Egypt and the subsequent epoch of the Exodus, which lies beyond the scope of these present excerpts. The pronouncements concerning Levi and his sons underscore the early allocation of duties pertaining to the sacred implements of their future religious practices.

Narrative

The narrative thread concerning Merari within these selected texts is primarily genealogical in nature, establishing his birth as one of the sons of Levi in Canaan before the family’s relocation to Egypt. While these sources do not recount specific actions or dialogues involving Merari during this early phase, his very existence is vital to understanding the composition of the tribe of Levi, which was destined to assume profound religious functions within the nation of Israel. The future charge entrusted to Levi and his sons, including Merari, regarding the Ark of the Covenant, as articulated in Jacob’s final instructions, foreshadows the significant religious responsibilities that Merari’s lineage would eventually undertake. His birth and inclusion within the posterity of Levi represent a foundational element in the continuity of Jacob’s family and the unfolding of their divinely ordained destiny.