Levy in the Bible?

[Bwaho]

I been reading the old testament a lot lately, but I couldn't quite figure out who these "levies/levy" were?

were they a people (non jewish) who lived in israel before the jews came?

I know they fought for the jews but did they ever get accepted as equals to the jews?
I've heard some jewish names end with "Levy", are those really non-jewish?

edit:

In the bible it said how "levies mobilized their men and raised an army of 27.000"

 

[Mr.Flint]

I been reading the old testament a lot lately, but I couldn't quite figure out who these "levies/levy" were?

were they a people (non jewish) who lived in israel before the jews came?

I know they fought for the jews but did they ever get accepted as equals to the jews?
I've heard some jewish names end with "Levy", are those really non-jewish?

edit:

In the bible it said how "levies mobilized their men and raised an army of 27.000"

Im too lazy now to type much (its too damn hot here)
so here is a quote from wiki

In the Jewish tradition, a Levite (לֵוִי "Attached", Standard Hebrew Levi, Tiberian Hebrew Lēwî) is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. The Levites were the only one of the Israelite tribes who received cities but no tribal land when Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan. The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites. In return, the landed tribes were expected to give tithe to the Levites.

The tribe is named after Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (also called Israel). Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Genesis 46:11).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levite

 

[Nicholas Rush]

This from Eastons Bible Dictionary

Levy
(1 Kings 4:6, R.V.; 5:13), forced service. The service of
tributaries was often thus exacted by kings. Solomon raised a
"great levy" of 30,000 men, about two per cent. of the
population, to work for him by courses on Lebanon. Adoram
(12:18) presided over this forced labour service (Ger.
Frohndienst; Fr. corvee).

Also another name for "war".

 

[Bwaho]

ok, and the name cohen is a priests name.

I read about a study they did on people with the name cohen, it turned out all of them had a common ancestor who lived around the time of Aaron, moses brother.