The 'cities of the Levites' have left no trace in the historical and prophetical literature of Israel; they appear only in P and Chronicles. They must then be either a fiction of the later compilers of the Law, or an earlier institution which made no great impact in monarchic times. This study therefore begins with a review of the materials of Levite history up to the Exile; the Levite cities must find a place somewhere within this setting, if they ever had any real existence. In the second chapter we turn to survey the development of modern critical study of Joshua and Chronicles, culminating in the classic interpretations of Wellhausen and, for Chronicles, of Rothstein and Rudolph. These provide the presuppositions widely accepted by more recent scholars. We then examine and compare the texts of the two versions of the Levite city list, from a literary standpoint, and conclude that, contrary to previous opinion, the one in Chronicles represents an earlier stage in the development of the tradition than that in Joshua. There are signs that at some time the list has been remoulded, with additions and deletions, to fit the pattern of four cities from each of the twelve tribes. Having recognised the difficulties in supposing the list to be entirely a late invention, in the second half of this study we try to find the Levite cities' place in history. First, the findings of archaeologists, traditio-historians and form-critics are examined, When their proposals appear not wholly satisfactory, we turn in chapter five to those who have attempted to re-appraise the character of the 'Levites' of these contexts. In pursuing this enquiry further, we reach the conclusion that these 'Levites' must be distinct both from the old secular tribe of Levi, and from the sacerdotal Levites of the Deuteronomic and Priestly literature. The 'cities of the Levites' seem to be towns which, in the second millennium, entered Israel by alliance rather than by conquest. Finally, we observe the measure of correspondence between the areas of 'Levite' and Hivite/Hurrian occupation, and raise the question whether the term 'Levite' here may not stem from a textual corruption of 'Hivite' in the Jerusalem archives.

Esta pesquisa tem como objeto Os Entes Silenciosos da Sociedade Israelita segundo o Deuteronômio. E com quê esse objeto tem a ver? A pesquisa será desenvolvida a partir do livro de Deuteronômio e mirará àqueles que estão em silêncio dentro do livro. São eles: o pobre, a viúva, o órfão, o estrangeiro, o levita, o escravo e a escrava. No desenvolvimento da pesquisa, notou-se que todos eles poderiam ser colocados sob a nomenclatura de pobre. E, de fato, todos eles são pobres. Mas o redator emprega as palavras para pobre para designar um homem que, mesmo que estando em situação econômica degradada, ele ainda é livre, e, em determinado momento de sua vida, pode até optar por se tornar um escravo de um irmão. Também, percebeu-se que há quatro personagens que, quase sempre, aparecem juntos. Esses são aqueles que são chamados pelas palavras: viúva, órfão, estrangeiro e levita. Diante disso, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida da seguinte forma: o capítulo inicial, onde se faz o levantamento das palavras que ocorrem dentro do Deuteronômio, e no qual se faz algumas observações iniciais. O segundo capítulo buscará entender as palavras para pobre que ocorrem dentro do Deuteronômio. Notar-se-á aqui que elas apontam para um irmão israelita e que legislação será feita para que o tu/vós, a quem se dirige o redator do livro, aja em obediência a fala de seu Deus e seja benigno com o seu irmão empobrecido. O capítulo termina com um tratamento de Moisés como um personagem que foi identificado com os Entes Silenciosos do Israel antigo. O terceiro capítulo será desenvolvido com os Entes Silenciosos que aparecem, comumente, juntos. Eles são considerados estrangeiros por sua condição de desarraigamento. Eles não possuem propriedade. Mas existem dentro da propriedade do tu/vós. A pesquisa também desenvolverá um entendimento do dízimo do terceiro ano. O quarto capítulo trata dos escravos e escravas. A legislação deuteronômica fará uma distinção entre os escravos e escravas que são de Israel e os que não o são. O ano da libertação dos empobrecidos e dos escravizados será tratado, em sua segunda parte, pois, a primeira fora tratada no capítulo 2. / This research has the object \"The Silent Beings of Israeli society according to Deuteronomy.\" And what this object has to do? The research will be developed from the book of Deuteronomy and will target those who are silent inside the book. They are: the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the Levite, the male and female slaves. In developing the survey, it was noted that all of them could be placed under the nomenclature of \"poor.\" And indeed, they are all poor. But the writer uses the words to \"poor\" to mean a \"man\" that even being in degraded economic situation, he is still free, and at one point in your life, he can even chooses to become a slave of a brother. Also, it was noted that there are four personages that almost always appear together. These are those who are called by the words: widow, orphan, the stranger, and Levite. Therefore, the research was carried out as follows: the first chapter, where it is the lifting of words that occur within the Deuteronomy, and which makes some opening remarks. The second chapter will seek to understand the words to poor occurring within the Deuteronomy. It will be noted here that they point to an Israeli brother and that legislation will be made so that the \"thou / you\", to whom is the book\'s editor, act in obedience to the speech of their God and be charitable with your impoverished brother. The chapter concludes with a treatment of Moses as a man who was identified with the Silent Beings of ancient Israel. The third chapter will be developed with the Silent Beings that appear commonly together. They are considered \"foreign\" by their uprooting condition. They have no property. But they are within the grounds of \"thou / you.\" The research also develop an understanding of the tithe of the third year. The fourth chapter deals with the male and female slaves. The Deuteronomic legislation will make a distinction between male and female slaves who are of Israel and those who are not. The year of the liberation of impoverished and enslaved will be treated in its second part, because the first had been treated in Chapter 2.

Esta pesquisa tem como objeto Os Entes Silenciosos da Sociedade Israelita segundo o Deuteronômio. E com quê esse objeto tem a ver? A pesquisa será desenvolvida a partir do livro de Deuteronômio e mirará àqueles que estão em silêncio dentro do livro. São eles: o pobre, a viúva, o órfão, o estrangeiro, o levita, o escravo e a escrava. No desenvolvimento da pesquisa, notou-se que todos eles poderiam ser colocados sob a nomenclatura de pobre. E, de fato, todos eles são pobres. Mas o redator emprega as palavras para pobre para designar um homem que, mesmo que estando em situação econômica degradada, ele ainda é livre, e, em determinado momento de sua vida, pode até optar por se tornar um escravo de um irmão. Também, percebeu-se que há quatro personagens que, quase sempre, aparecem juntos. Esses são aqueles que são chamados pelas palavras: viúva, órfão, estrangeiro e levita. Diante disso, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida da seguinte forma: o capítulo inicial, onde se faz o levantamento das palavras que ocorrem dentro do Deuteronômio, e no qual se faz algumas observações iniciais. O segundo capítulo buscará entender as palavras para pobre que ocorrem dentro do Deuteronômio. Notar-se-á aqui que elas apontam para um irmão israelita e que legislação será feita para que o tu/vós, a quem se dirige o redator do livro, aja em obediência a fala de seu Deus e seja benigno com o seu irmão empobrecido. O capítulo termina com um tratamento de Moisés como um personagem que foi identificado com os Entes Silenciosos do Israel antigo. O terceiro capítulo será desenvolvido com os Entes Silenciosos que aparecem, comumente, juntos. Eles são considerados estrangeiros por sua condição de desarraigamento. Eles não possuem propriedade. Mas existem dentro da propriedade do tu/vós. A pesquisa também desenvolverá um entendimento do dízimo do terceiro ano. O quarto capítulo trata dos escravos e escravas. A legislação deuteronômica fará uma distinção entre os escravos e escravas que são de Israel e os que não o são. O ano da libertação dos empobrecidos e dos escravizados será tratado, em sua segunda parte, pois, a primeira fora tratada no capítulo 2. / This research has the object \"The Silent Beings of Israeli society according to Deuteronomy.\" And what this object has to do? The research will be developed from the book of Deuteronomy and will target those who are silent inside the book. They are: the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the Levite, the male and female slaves. In developing the survey, it was noted that all of them could be placed under the nomenclature of \"poor.\" And indeed, they are all poor. But the writer uses the words to \"poor\" to mean a \"man\" that even being in degraded economic situation, he is still free, and at one point in your life, he can even chooses to become a slave of a brother. Also, it was noted that there are four personages that almost always appear together. These are those who are called by the words: widow, orphan, the stranger, and Levite. Therefore, the research was carried out as follows: the first chapter, where it is the lifting of words that occur within the Deuteronomy, and which makes some opening remarks. The second chapter will seek to understand the words to poor occurring within the Deuteronomy. It will be noted here that they point to an Israeli brother and that legislation will be made so that the \"thou / you\", to whom is the book\'s editor, act in obedience to the speech of their God and be charitable with your impoverished brother. The chapter concludes with a treatment of Moses as a man who was identified with the Silent Beings of ancient Israel. The third chapter will be developed with the Silent Beings that appear commonly together. They are considered \"foreign\" by their uprooting condition. They have no property. But they are within the grounds of \"thou / you.\" The research also develop an understanding of the tithe of the third year. The fourth chapter deals with the male and female slaves. The Deuteronomic legislation will make a distinction between male and female slaves who are of Israel and those who are not. The year of the liberation of impoverished and enslaved will be treated in its second part, because the first had been treated in Chapter 2.