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Levi Dreamed of Heaven and Woke to Find the Shield

He was twenty, out with the flocks, when the sky opened and an angel told him to come in. On the road home he found the shield lying there.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Flocks at Abel-Meholah
  2. A Sea Hanging in the First Heaven
  3. The Brass Shield Lying in the Road
  4. Shechem
  5. Seven Men in White at Bethel
Levi Dreamed of Heaven and Woke to Find the Shield Click for full size

The Flocks at Abel-Meholah

Levi was about twenty years old, out with his father's flocks at Abel-Meholah, when the spirit of understanding came over him and he saw what men were doing to one another. Injustice had built itself walls. Lawlessness sat up on the towers and looked down at the road. He grieved over the whole race of the sons of men, and then he prayed one short prayer, and it was for himself: that he be got out of it alive.

Sleep dropped on him where he stood.

In the sleep there was a high mountain and he was standing on top of it. The heavens split open over his head and an angel said his name. "Levi, enter."

A Sea Hanging in the First Heaven

He went in. In the first heaven a great sea hung above him with nothing holding it up. Past that, a second heaven burned brighter than the first, filled with a light that had no edge to it, and Levi asked the angel why the two were not the same.

"Do not marvel at this," the angel said. "You will see another heaven brighter than both, past comparing, and when you have gone up there you will stand near the Lord. You will be His minister and declare His secrets to men. The Lord's portion will be your living. He will be your field and your vineyard, your fruit and your gold and your silver."

Then the angel told him what each heaven held. The lowest one is gloomy because it looks down at everything men do, and it keeps fire and snow and ice ready for the day of judgment. The second holds the armies ordained for that day. Above them stand the holy ones, and higher than all of it, the Great Glory.

The angel opened the gates. Levi saw the holy Temple and the Most High on a throne of glory, and the voice came at him straight.

"Levi, I have given you the blessings of the priesthood, until I come and dwell in the midst of Israel."

The Brass Shield Lying in the Road

The angel carried him back down to the earth and put a shield and a sword into his hands. "Take vengeance on Shechem for Dinah your sister, and I will be with you, because the Lord has sent me."

Levi asked him his name.

"I am the angel who pleads for the nation of Israel, that it not be wiped out entirely, because every evil spirit attacks it."

He woke up on the mountain in Abel-Meholah with the flocks around him.

Walking to his father afterward, near Gebal, south of Abila, Levi found a brass shield lying in the road where anyone might have dropped it. It was the shield from the dream. The mountain there is called Aspis, which means shield, and it kept the name. He picked it up, said nothing to anybody, and held the words in his chest.

Shechem

What he had watched from the pasture was now a thing he had been handed a weapon for. He went to Jacob and to his brother Reuben about the sons of Hamor, who had taken his sister, and the terms were set in front of the whole city: every man of Shechem would be circumcised. Levi killed Shechem first. Simeon killed Hamor. The other brothers came in behind them and put the town to the sword.

Jacob took to his bed that day. He had not been asked, and he said so, and on his deathbed years later, blessing his sons one by one, he still had not let it go.

Levi would not take it back. "By you the Lord will strip the Canaanites and give their land to you and to your seed after you," he told his father. "From this day Shechem will be called a city of fools, because we made fools of them the way a man makes a fool of a fool."

Seven Men in White at Bethel

They moved on to Bethel and had been there seventy days when the sky opened a second time. Seven men in white stood over him and told him to get up and put on the priesthood.

The first anointed him with holy oil and set the staff of judgment in his hand. The second washed him in clean water, fed him bread and wine, and wrapped him in a glorious robe. The third dressed him in linen. The fourth belted him with something the color of purple. The fifth gave him a branch of rich olive. The sixth set a crown on his head. The seventh set the diadem of priesthood on top of the crown and filled both his hands with incense.

"From now on be a priest of the Lord, you and your seed forever."

He woke and knew the second dream was the first dream again. He hid that one in his chest too and told no man on earth.

Two days later he and Judah walked up to Isaac, and his grandfather blessed him in the exact words of the visions Levi had never repeated to anyone. Jacob saw it as well, rose early, and set aside a tenth of everything he owned to give through his son. At Hebron the old man taught him the trade by daylight: which wood for the altar, how much salt on the offering, wash before you go in and wash when you come out, marry young and marry clean.

At the end of his own life Jacob gave Levi all his books and the books of his fathers, to keep them and to make them new again for his children. Levi carried them down into Egypt. He died at a hundred and thirty-seven, older than any of his brothers, and the last thing he put to his sons was a choice: light or darkness, the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar. They answered him. He made them say it in front of witnesses. Then he pulled his feet up onto the bed and was gathered to his fathers.

LeviPriesthoodCreationAdamPatriarchsAngelsHeavenDead Sea ScrollsJacobSinai
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From the tradition

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The texts behind this telling. Some cards carry a translation of the source; others are our own retelling of it, and each card says which. Every card links out to the original.

Legends of the Jews 4:21Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

It’s practically woven into the fabric of our sacred stories!: Why Levi? Why was the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, chosen for such a special role? The answer, according to some, lies in the number seven. The Legends of the Jews tells us that God showed His preference for the seventh, because Levi was considered the seventh pious man, counting all the way back to Adam himself. The lineage goes: Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then… Levi.

It doesn't stop there. This idea of the "seventh" being special is a recurring theme, a divine fingerprint, if you will. The Legends of the Jews continues by pointing out how God seems to have a thing for "sevens." He sits enthroned, not just in any heaven, but in the seventh heaven. And get this: of the seven worlds (different planes of existence, according to some mystical traditions), only the seventh is inhabited by us, by human beings!

It goes on. Remember Enoch? He was part of those very early generations, and he was the seventh from Adam. And he was, according to tradition, a pretty exceptional guy.

What about Moses? He was the seventh among the Patriarchs and, as the Legends of the Jews puts it, he was "judged worthy of receiving the Torah." That's a pretty big deal.

Then there's David, the shepherd king. He wasn't just any son of Jesse, he was the seventh son. Chosen as king. See the pattern?

Even time itself seems to dance to this seven-beat rhythm. The seventh day? That's Shabbat, the Sabbath, our day of rest and reflection. The seventh month? That's Tishri, brimming with the High Holy Days – Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles). A month practically overflowing with holiness.

And let's not forget the Sabbatical year, Shmita (שְׁמִיטָה). Every seventh year, the land rests. And then, every seventh Sabbatical year, that's every forty-ninth year, we have the Yovel (יוֹבֵל), the Jubilee year. A year of liberation, of returning property, of starting anew.

So, what does it all mean? Is it just a quirky detail in Jewish lore? Or is there something deeper at play? Perhaps the number seven represents completeness, perfection, a divine cycle. Maybe it’s a reminder that within the structure of time and lineage, there are moments of heightened significance, moments when the divine breaks through in a special way.

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Legends of the Jews, II. The Sons Of Jacob, The Ascension Of LeviLegends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Project Gutenberg eBook #1494, The Legends of the Jews, Volume 2 · Public Domain

The story, as told in Legends of the Jews, paints a vivid picture of divine encounters and a sacred calling.

In Ginzberg's retelling, when Levi knew his time was near, he gathered his children. It wasn't just to reminisce, but to pass on a legacy, a prophecy stretching all the way to the end of days. He began by recounting a pivotal moment from his youth, a moment when "the spirit of understanding of the Lord came upon" him while tending flocks in Abel-Meholah. He saw the corruption of humanity, injustice and impiety ruling the world. Distressed, he prayed for salvation.

Then, a vision. He saw a towering mountain, the heavens opening, and an angel beckoning him to enter. Levi ascended through multiple heavens, each brighter than the last. He questioned the angel about their significance and was told he would soon see an even more brilliant heaven, a place where he would stand near God, minister to Him, and reveal divine mysteries to humankind. "Of the Lord's portion shall be thy life," the angel proclaimed, "and He shall be thy field and vineyard and fruits and gold and silver."

The angel then revealed the purpose of each heaven and prophesied about the Day of Judgment. In the third heaven, Levi beheld the holy Temple and God seated upon the Throne of Glory. God Himself declared, "Levi, upon thee have I bestowed the blessing of the priesthood, until I come and dwell in the midst of Israel." The angel returned Levi to earth, gifting him a shield and sword, instructing him to avenge Dinah's honor in Shechem. “Execute vengeance upon Shechem for Dinah," the angel said, "and I will be with thee, for the Lord hath sent me." When Levi asked the angel's name, he received a powerful answer: “I am the angel that intercedes for the people of Israel, that it may not be destroyed utterly, for every evil spirit attacks it.”

Upon awakening, Levi found a brass shield identical to the one in his dream. Remember the story of Dinah and Shechem? Levi, fueled by what he considered divine mandate, urged his father Jacob and brother Reuben to convince the sons of Hamor to undergo circumcision (brit milah) – a deeply significant act of covenant in Jewish tradition. Levi, consumed by righteous anger over the "abominable deed," personally slew Shechem, while Simon killed Hamor. The other brothers joined in, destroying the city. Jacob, however, was displeased. Despite their father's disapproval, Levi saw their actions as divine judgment upon Shechem for their sins, declaring that God would use this to ultimately drive out the Canaanites and give the land to Jacob's descendants. "Henceforth Shechem will be called the city of imbeciles," Levi declared, "for as a fool is mocked at, so have we made a mockery of them."

Later, while in Beth-lehem, Levi had another vision. This time, seven men clothed in white appeared, instructing him to don priestly garments: the crown of righteousness, the ephod (a priestly garment) of understanding, the robe of truth, the mitre (a type of head covering) of faith and dignity, and the shoulder pieces of prophecy. Each man brought a garment, investing him with it. They proclaimed, "Henceforth be the priest of the Lord, thou and thy seed unto eternity." They foretold that his descendants would partake of the offerings, that they would become high priests, judges, and scholars, guarding all that is holy.

Two days later, Judah and Levi visited their grandfather Isaac, who blessed Levi in accordance with the vision. Jacob also had a vision confirming Levi's appointment as God's priest, and through him, Jacob dedicated a tenth of his possessions to God. In Hebron, Isaac taught Levi the laws of the priesthood, emphasizing the importance of abstaining from unchastity.

Levi then shares details about his family. At 28, he married Milcah and had Gershom, realizing he wouldn't be among the greatest. At 35, Kohath was born at sunrise, seen in a vision among the proud. At 40, Merari was born after a difficult labor. And in Egypt, at 63, Jochebed was born and later married by Amram, who was born on the same day.

Finally, Levi gave his children a choice: "Choose, now, light or darkness, the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar." His sons vowed to follow God's law, a promise witnessed by God, the angels, and Levi himself.

Levi's final act was to admonish his children to walk in the ways of God, sharing wisdom gleaned from the writings of Enoch about future transgressions and divine punishments. He also spoke of a new priest who would arise, one to whom all the words of the Lord would be revealed. (Levi’s words here are especially interesting, often associated with the messianic hope within Jewish tradition.

Levi then stretched out his feet and died at the remarkable age of 137, outliving all his brothers.

So what do we take away from this story? It's more than just an origin story for the Levites. It's a narrative about divine calling, responsibility, and the enduring power of choice. Levi's vision and his commitment set the stage for a lineage dedicated to serving God, a legacy that continues to resonate within Jewish tradition. What choices will you make in your own life, and what legacy will you leave behind?

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Testament of LeviTestaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, R. H. Charles (1917) · Public Domain

Levi, third son of Jacob and Leah, called his sons together when he knew his death was near. It had been revealed to him that he would die. When they gathered, he told them everything.

"I was born in Haran," Levi began, "and I came with my father to Shechem. I was young, about twenty years of age, when with Simeon I wrought vengeance on Hamor for our sister Dinah" (Genesis 34:25-29).

Then came the vision.

While feeding the flocks in Abel-Maul, the spirit of understanding fell upon Levi. He saw all humanity corrupting its way, unrighteousness building walls, lawlessness enthroned on towers. Grief-stricken for the human race, Levi prayed for deliverance. Sleep fell upon him. He found himself on a high mountain. The heavens opened.

An angel of God spoke: "Levi, enter."

He entered the first heaven and saw a great sea hanging in the void. He passed into a second heaven, far brighter, filled with boundless light. The angel told him: "Marvel not, for you shall see another heaven more brilliant and incomparable." When Levi ascended to the highest place, he would stand near the Lord, become His minister, and declare His mysteries to humanity.

The angel explained the structure of the heavens. The lowest heaven is gloomy because it beholds all the unrighteous deeds of men. It contains fire, snow, and ice prepared for the day of judgment. In the second heaven are the hosts of heavenly armies, ordained to execute vengeance on the spirits of deceit and Beliar. Above them dwell the holy ones. In the highest of all dwells the Great Glory, far above all holiness. Below that are the archangels, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for the sins of the righteous, offering a sweet-smelling, bloodless offering. Further down are thrones and dominions, forever offering praise to God.

"When the Lord looks upon us," Levi said, "all of us are shaken. The heavens, the earth, and the abysses tremble at the presence of His majesty."

Then the angel opened the gates of heaven, and Levi saw the holy Temple. Upon a throne of glory sat the Most High, who said: "Levi, I have given you the blessings of the priesthood until I come and sojourn in the midst of Israel." The angel brought Levi back to earth, gave him a shield and a sword, and said: "Execute vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah your sister, for the Lord has sent me." Levi destroyed the sons of Hamor. When he asked the angel's name, the angel replied: "I am the angel who intercedes for the nation of Israel, that they may not be utterly smitten."

A second vision followed. At Bethel, after seventy days, Levi saw seven men in white garments. They said: "Arise, put on the robe of the priesthood, the crown of righteousness, the breastplate of understanding, the garment of truth, the plate of faith, the turban of the head, and the ephod of prophecy." One by one, seven angels vested him. The first anointed him with holy oil and gave him the staff of judgment. The second washed him with pure water and fed him bread and wine. The third clothed him in a linen vestment. The fourth girded him with a sash of purple. The fifth gave him a branch of rich olive. The sixth placed a crown on his head. The seventh set upon him a diadem of priesthood and filled his hands with incense.

"Levi, your seed shall be divided into three offices," they declared, "for a sign of the glory of the Lord who is to come." His descendants would include high priests, judges, and scribes. By their mouths the holy place would be guarded.

Isaac, grandfather of Levi, confirmed it all. He taught Levi the law of the priesthood: sacrifices, burnt-offerings, first-fruits, peace-offerings. He warned him especially against the spirit of lust, which would through Levi's descendants pollute the holy place. "Take a wife without blemish while you are young," Isaac counseled. "Before entering the holy place, bathe. When you offer sacrifice, wash. When you finish, wash again."

Levi foresaw a dark future: seventy weeks of priestly corruption, profaning sacrifices, making void the law, persecuting righteous men. The Temple would be laid waste. Israel would be scattered among the nations as captives.

But after the punishment, the priesthood would be renewed. "The Lord shall raise up a new priest," Levi prophesied. "His star shall arise in heaven as of a king, lighting up the light of knowledge as the sun lights the day. He shall shine forth upon the earth, and shall remove all darkness from under heaven. The heavens shall exult in his days, and the earth shall be glad. He shall open the gates of paradise and remove the threatening sword against Adam. He shall give the righteous ones to eat from the Tree of Life. Beliar shall be bound by him, and he shall give power to his children to tread upon evil spirits."

"Choose for yourselves," Levi told his sons, "either the light or the darkness, either the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar." His sons answered before the Lord: "We will walk according to His law."

Levi stretched out his feet on the bed and was gathered to his fathers at a hundred and thirty-seven years. They buried him in Hebron, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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Book of Jubilees 46:1Book of Jubilees

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Sefaria Community Translation · CC-BY

It tells a fascinating detail about the passing of knowledge, specifically within the family of Jacob.

Chapter 46 tells us a simple but profound thing: "And he gave all his books and the books of his fathers to Levi his son that he might preserve them and renew them for his children until this day." Jacob, near the end of his life, entrusted something incredibly precious to his son, Levi. Not gold, not land, but books. The sefarim, the holy texts, the records of their ancestors. And the charge wasn't just to keep them safe, but to renew them, to make them relevant for each new generation. To pass them down, alive and breathing.

Why Levi? Well, in Jewish tradition, the tribe of Levi is associated with priestly duties and the preservation of religious knowledge. So, it makes sense that Jacob would choose him to be the guardian of these vital texts. It’s a powerful image: the passing of the torch, the handing down of wisdom.

It highlights the importance of not only preserving our history, but also of understanding it, of making it our own.

And what happened after Jacob's death? The narrative continues: "And it came to pass that after Jacob died the children of Israel multiplied in the land of Egypt, and they became a great nation..."

This is, of course, the beginning of the story of Exodus, the enslavement and eventual liberation of the Israelites. But before we get there, the Book of Jubilees subtly reminds us that even in the face of hardship, the seeds of their identity – the stories, the laws, the very essence of who they were – had already been planted, carefully nurtured, and passed down through the generations, starting right there with Jacob and Levi. It all began with those books.

What are the "books" – the stories, the values, the traditions – that we are passing on to the next generation? And are we merely preserving them, or are we actively renewing them, making them relevant and meaningful for the future? It's a question worth pondering.

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Book of Jubilees 30:28Book of Jubilees

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Sefaria Community Translation · CC-BY

Book of Jubilees turns to Righteousness of Levi.

That Levi’s actions "were reckoned unto them for righteousness, and it is written down to them for righteousness. It wasn't just a fleeting moment of approval, but a permanent inscription, a cosmic record.

Why this singular honor? Because, "the seed of Levi was chosen for the priesthood, and to be Levites, that they might minister before the Lord, as we, continually."

The text goes on to state, "and that Levi and his sons may be blessed for ever; for he was zealous to execute righteousness and judgment and vengeance on all those who arose against Israel." Levi took action. He stood up for what was right, even when it was difficult.

But it's the next line that really makes you pause: "And so they inscribe as a testimony in his favour on the heavenly tables blessing and righteousness before the God of all." Heavenly tables!

And consider what this heavenly inscription actually means. It's not just a pat on the back, a cosmic "good job." It's a validation, a recognition that Levi's actions aligned with divine will.

The passage closes with a poignant reminder: "And we remember the righteousness which the man fulfilled during his life, at all periods of the year; until a thousand generations they will record it."

A thousand generations. That's a legacy that stretches far beyond our comprehension. It suggests that true righteousness isn’t just about following rules, but about acting with zeal and conviction.

Are there "heavenly tables" tracking our own actions? Perhaps not literally. But the idea that our choices resonate far beyond our immediate sphere of influence, that they contribute to a larger narrative, a larger sense of righteousness – that's a powerful concept. It encourages us to consider the long-term impact of our decisions, to strive for a legacy that will be remembered, not for a thousand generations, perhaps, but at least for the positive ripples we leave behind.

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4Q213 1:1-2:26Aramaic Levi Document (4Q213-214)

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Original JewishMythology.com adaptation from ancient manuscript references and scholarly summaries · Original Adaptation

The Aramaic Levi Document (ALD) is one of the oldest texts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, parts of it may date to the 3rd century BCE, making it older than most of the books of the Hebrew Bible as we know them. It tells the story of Levi, the son of Jacob, and how he became the ancestor of the entire Israelite priesthood. But the story it tells is far more dramatic than anything in Genesis.

In this text, Levi has a vision. He ascends through the heavens and stands before the angels of the divine presence. The angels open the gates of heaven for him and grant him the priesthood directly, not through any human appointment, but by celestial decree. He is washed, anointed with oil, and invested with priestly garments by angelic hands. The earthly priesthood, the text implies, originates not in human tradition but in a heavenly ordination.

After his vision, Levi's grandfather Isaac teaches him the laws of the priesthood in extraordinary detail, the proper wood for the altar, the correct measurements of salt for offerings, the precise sequence of sacrificial acts. These instructions are more detailed than anything in Leviticus and may represent an independent priestly tradition that the biblical editors chose not to include.

The document also contains a remarkable wisdom poem attributed to Levi, urging his descendants to pursue learning above all else. "Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding," Levi teaches. "Even if a man is poor, wisdom will be his throne." The priestly ideal in this text is not merely ritual expertise, it is intellectual and spiritual mastery. Levi is not just a priest. He is a scholar, a visionary, and the recipient of cosmic secrets revealed by God through the ministering angels.

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