CAATH (Heb. Qēhāth). - According to Exodus 6:16, Numbers 3:17, and 1 Chronicles 5:27-29 [6:1-3], the second son of Levi, born in Canaan (Gen. 46:11) and died at the age of 133 (Ex. 6:18). Among the houses of his four sons Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, that of the first (Amram) remained famous, since from his progeny was numbered Aaron (v.), the ancestor of the pontiffs and priests (Ex. 6:20).
Since the priests, being superior to the Levites, were called "sons of Aaron," the term "Kohathites," or descendants of Kohath, came to be restricted (except in Josh. 21:4) to designating that group of Levites whose task was the transport of the sacred vessels after they had been wrapped in cloths by the priests. They were not, however, permitted, on pain of death, to see or touch those same sacred furnishings while they were still uncovered (Num. 4:15-20). They had to prepare the showbread for every Sabbath (1 Chron. 9:32) and carry the ark on their shoulders (Num. 7:1-9; 1 Chron. 15:2-15). The Levites descended from Gershon (v.) or from Merari (v.) had instead lower offices, such as singers or gatekeepers. Nevertheless Heman, the director of sacred song in the time of David, was a Kohathite (1 Chron. 6:18-32 [33-38]), as were also certain gatekeepers descended from Izhar through the line of Korah (1 Chron. 9:19).