Levite and ancestor of Israel's priestly and prophetic line
Der ExodusLeviteAncestorHead of householdc. 1600–1463 BC (lived 137 years)
Amram belonged to the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi and became the father of three of the most central figures in Israel's early history: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He married Jochebed, his father's sister, thereby laying the foundation for a family that would decisively shape Israel's religious and national identity. Through his son Aaron, the priestly service at the sanctuary was established, and through Moses, the Torah and the covenant between God and Israel were conveyed. Amram's life fell in a time when the Israelites lived under harsh slavery in Egypt, and his descendants became the instruments God used to liberate His people. His lifespan of 137 years places him among the last with the characteristically high longevity from the early biblical generations. The clan bearing his name—the Amramites—held a special position among the Levites with responsibility for the most holy objects of the tabernacle, including the ark of the covenant.
Amram married Jochebed, his father's sister, and together they had three children who would all play decisive roles in Israel's history. This type of marriage was later explicitly forbidden in the legislation given through Moses.
Amram is mentioned as the ancestor of the Amramite clan, one of the Levitical families responsible for the tabernacle and its holy objects, including the ark of the covenant and the lampstand.
31Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and all the work connected with them.
58These were the clans of Levi: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. And Kohath was the father of Amram.