Qehat is the proper name of the second son of Levi and grandfather of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, appearing 32 times in genealogies and Levitical organizational lists. The Kohathites held the most prestigious — and most dangerous — Levitical assignment: carrying the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the sacred vessels of the tabernacle (Num 4:4-15). They were forbidden from touching or even looking at the holy objects uncovered, on pain of death (Num 4:15, 20). The genealogical notices trace the line Levi to Kohath to Amram to Moses and Aaron (Exod 6:16-20), making the Kohathites the priestly subclan par excellence. In Chronicles, the Kohathites receive thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin (Josh 21:4-5; 1 Chr 6:54-61). The Septuagint renders it Kaath, and modern translations preserve the name virtually unchanged.