Older and Younger Alike: Lottery of Levites

I Chronicles.24.31

Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him)

Jul 01, 2025

How much of life is determined by sheer luck or fate? How often is that reflected in our ritual life and public politics?

The use of lottery may be used for wealth and philanthropy these days but back in biblical times it was used to ensure equality of employment in the more sensitive of sacred duties, among other public roles. It mostly worked.

Why was a lottery used to determine the procedure of priestly service in the temple? And what happened when one of the priestly families ended up in disgrace, taken off the honor roll of service because?

Was it because they were always late for work- or because one of their daughters married a Roman soldier? An ancient system, and a hushed scandal show up within the pages of history and between the lines of today’s chapter, which lists the 24 units of priestly families that took turns officiating in the temple.

One of the 24 orders was eventually banished and shamed.

Before we peek into what Martha of the Bilga family did or didn’t do - what’s the story of these 24 units and the lottery that determined when they worked?

A central theme in the Book of Chronicles, likely written and/or compiled in the early days of the Second Temple period, is the portrayal of the Temple service arrangements as a credible and ancient legacy founded by “David and Samuel the seer through their faith” (1 Chronicles 9:22), even before the First Temple was built. In the previous chapter, the divisions of the Levites were described in detail—by their families and according to their various roles in the Temple, “alongside the sons of Aaron.” In the current chapter, the priests are divided into twenty-four “watches” (mishmarot), with the more numerous descendants of Eleazar, son of Aaron, making up sixteen units, while the relatively fewer descendants of Ithamar account for the remaining eight.

Each unit would serve for two weeks, taking turns making sure the priestly procedures are operating as usual - 24/7. The watch would switch on Saturdays. Not all priestly families lived in Jerusalem - most did not - and so these men would leave their homes and families for two weeks each year and report for sacred duty.

But who gets which watch? That’s where the lottery comes in:

וַיַּפִּ֩ילוּ֩ גַם־הֵ֨ם גּוֹרָל֜וֹת לְעֻמַּ֣ת ׀ אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם בְּנֵי־אַהֲרֹ֗ן לִפְנֵ֨י דָוִ֤יד הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְצָד֣וֹק וַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְרָאשֵׁי֙ הָאָב֔וֹת לַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְלַלְוִיִּ֑ם אָב֣וֹת הָרֹ֔אשׁ לְעֻמַּ֖ת אָחִ֥יו הַקָּטָֽן׃

These too cast lots corresponding to their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron, under the eye of King David and Zadok and Ahimelech and the chiefs of the clans of the priests and Levites, on the principle of “eldest and youngest brother alike.”

The lottery determined the order by which the 24 families showed up to fill each year - 48 weeks covered most of the year, with the exception of the big holidays, and some kind of filler system for the rest.

But why did they choose a lottery and did it really work to create equity between the different ranks for the priestly families?

Different lotteries were used throughout Jewish history, and some are already mentioned in the Bible:

Lots were used for choosing of the seventy elders who were to assist Moses in the administration of the Jewish community (Numbers 11:16); Also in the same book - Lots were used for the distribution of the tribal portions of the land of Israel (Num. 26:55); Jonah was chosen by lot to be thrown overboard and quiet the sea (Joshua 7:16-8), and Haman chooses the date for the extermination of the Jewish community based on lots, too. (Esther 3:7)

So why a lottery to choose the order of the priests’ service? Apparently it was a later insertion, replacing an older, problematic system that did not respect or honor the people.

According to the Mishna in Yoma, Initially, physical contests were held, pitting priests against one another, as these men would literally race up the ramp to reach the top of the altar. Whoever got there first would be the one to empty the ashes - a coveted role. But the Mishna describes a few tragedies and accidents resulting from this chaotic system, including broken bones and even one murder.

That’s how some kind of lottery, known as “payis” was eventually introduced in an attempt to promote some sort of equity even among these privileged public servants. It’s interesting to notice this gradual change of choosing times for public service that went from a meritocratic competition, determined by the abilities of the fastest individual, to a more organized system, more random and egalitarian. That’s why the verse here explicitly mentions - ‘elder and younger alike’. At least in theory, there was an attempt to minimize claims by some priestly families for chosen roles over others.

But even with a lottery to make life easier and more equal, some will race to the top - and some will be eliminated.

One such story also shows up in the Talmud - telling us in hushed tones of one of the 24 units that was eventually disbarred.

Here they show up on the 15th watch:

לְבִלְגָּה֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה עָשָׂ֔ר

“The fifteenth watch - family of Bilgah;”

The Mishna mentions a cryptic fact about this family:

“The watch of Bilgah always divided it in the south; their ring was fixed and their alcove was blocked up.”

Dr joshua kelp’s modern commentary on the Mishnah explains:

“Bilgah is the name of one of the watches (see I Chronicles 24:14). According to the mishnah and other rabbinic sources they were punished for the sins committed by Miriam, the daughter of one of the priests. Miriam committed apostasy and married a Greek soldier, and when the Greeks entered the Temple during the time of the Maccabees she came in with him and acted in a disrespectful manner to the Temple.

As a collective punishment for the whole watch they always diminished- when they were entering their service, it is as if they are on their way out.

Alternatively, the Talmud says that the watch of Bilgah may have been punished because they were constantly late in arriving to serve in the Temple. In the Temple there were twenty-four rings, one for each watch. When skinning a sacrifice they could put the animal’s neck through the ring and have it held up while they skinned it. Bilgah’s ring was closed up so that they couldn’t use it. In addition, every watch had its own alcove in which they could store their knives. Bilgah’s was closed up, again as a punishment for their misdeeds.”

There’s probably much more to this story that describes a priestly familie’s fall from grace and still lists it among the original founders of the system. It’s unclear if any other family took their place or how that two week slot was eventually replaced? More mysteries.

Coming up - one more lottery that determines the order of the levitical musicians who served the sacred. But were they prophets?? Can you determine prophecy with music - and by lots??

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Below the Bible Belt

Older and Younger Alike: Lottery of Levites

I Chronicles.24.31

How much of life is determined by sheer luck or fate? How often is that reflected in our ritual life and public politics?

The use of lottery may be used for wealth and philanthropy these days but back in biblical times it was used to ensure equality of employment in the more sensitive of sacred duties, among other public roles. It mostly worked.

Why was a lottery used to determine the procedure of priestly service in the temple? And what happened when one of the priestly families ended up in disgrace, taken off the honor roll of service because?

One of the 24 orders was eventually banished and shamed.

Before we peek into what Martha of the Bilga family did or didn’t do - what’s the story of these 24 units and the lottery that determined when they worked?

But who gets which watch? That’s where the lottery comes in:

These too cast lots corresponding to their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron, under the eye of King David and Zadok and Ahimelech and the chiefs of the clans of the priests and Levites, on the principle of “eldest and youngest brother alike.”

I Chronicles.24.31

The lottery determined the order by which the 24 families showed up to fill each year - 48 weeks covered most of the year, with the exception of the big holidays, and some kind of filler system for the rest.

But why did they choose a lottery and did it really work to create equity between the different ranks for the priestly families?

Different lotteries were used throughout Jewish history, and some are already mentioned in the Bible:

So why a lottery to choose the order of the priests’ service? Apparently it was a later insertion, replacing an older, problematic system that did not respect or honor the people.

But even with a lottery to make life easier and more equal, some will race to the top - and some will be eliminated.

One such story also shows up in the Talmud - telling us in hushed tones of one of the 24 units that was eventually disbarred.

Here they show up on the 15th watch:

לְבִלְגָּה֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה עָשָׂ֔ר

“The fifteenth watch - family of Bilgah;”

I Chronicles 24:14

The Mishna mentions a cryptic fact about this family:

“The watch of Bilgah always divided it in the south; their ring was fixed and their alcove was blocked up.”

Dr joshua kelp’s modern commentary on the Mishnah explains:

As a collective punishment for the whole watch they always diminished- when they were entering their service, it is as if they are on their way out.

There’s probably much more to this story that describes a priestly familie’s fall from grace and still lists it among the original founders of the system. It’s unclear if any other family took their place or how that two week slot was eventually replaced? More mysteries.

Coming up - one more lottery that determines the order of the levitical musicians who served the sacred. But were they prophets?? Can you determine prophecy with music - and by lots??

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