Ithamar

Ithamar is the youngest of the four sons of Aaron in the UPDV, named alongside Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar in every roster of Aaron's house. After the deaths of Nadab and Abihu at Sinai, he and his elder brother Eleazar carry the priesthood forward in their father's lifetime, with Ithamar drawing the supervisory portfolio over the tabernacle's accounts and over the Gershonite and Merarite Levite divisions. His descendants later constitute one of the two priestly stems out of which David organizes the twenty-four courses.

Son of Aaron

Ithamar's birth is registered in the Exodus genealogy of Aaron's marriage to Elisheba: "And Aaron took to himself Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar" (Ex 6:23). The same fourfold roster appears at the inauguration of the priesthood, when Yahweh commands Moses to bring Aaron's house near to serve: "even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons" (Ex 28:1). The Chronicler's Levitical genealogy preserves the order intact: "And the sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar" (1Ch 6:3).

Surviving the Fire at Sinai

After Nadab and Abihu die before Yahweh for offering strange fire, only Eleazar and Ithamar remain of Aaron's sons in priestly office: "Eleazar and Ithamar served in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father" (Nu 3:4). Moses then forbids Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar the customary mourning rites, on penalty of death and of divine wrath against the whole congregation: "Don't let the hair of your⁺ heads go loose, neither rend your⁺ clothes; that you⁺ will not die, and that he is not angry with all the congregation: but let your⁺ brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled" (Le 10:6). The same prohibition keeps the surviving priests inside the tent: "And you⁺ will not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, or else you⁺ will die; for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you⁺. And they did according to the word of Moses" (Le 10:7).

Steward of Tabernacle Accounts

The Exodus subscription that closes the tabernacle's construction places the accounting of materials under Ithamar's oversight: "This is the sum of [the things for] the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were counted, according to the mouth of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest" (Ex 38:21). The Levitical service ledger is administered "by the hand of Ithamar" while Moses dictates and Aaron remains high priest.

Overseer of Gershonite and Merarite Service

In the Numbers organization of Levite duties, Ithamar's portfolio extends to two of the three Levite clans tasked with transporting the tabernacle. The Gershonites are placed under his hand: "This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting: and their charge will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest" (Nu 4:28). When the tribal princes bring wagons and oxen for the carriage-work, the Merarite share is likewise routed through him: "and four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest" (Nu 7:8).

The Priestly Courses

David's organization of the priests for sanctuary service draws on both surviving lines of Aaron. The Chronicler restates the genealogy and then the historical fact of priestly succession: "The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no sons: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office" (1Ch 24:1-2). The division of courses pairs Zadok with Eleazar's stem and Ahimelech with Ithamar's: "And David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their ordering in their service" (1Ch 24:3). The numerical breakdown gives Eleazar the larger share: "of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen, heads of fathers' houses; and of the sons of Ithamar, according to their fathers' houses, eight" (1Ch 24:4). The scribe's lot-casting includes both stems on equal footing as princely houses of the sanctuary, "both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar" (1Ch 24:5), and the written record of the lot is drawn up with "one fathers' house being taken for Eleazar, and one taken, one taken for Ithamar" (1Ch 24:6). The resulting twenty-four-course rotation, beginning with Jehoiarib and ending with Maaziah (1Ch 24:7-18), stands as "the ordering of them in their service, to come into the house of Yahweh according to the ordinance [given] to them by Aaron their father" (1Ch 24:19).