A symbol stands for an idea. The Statue of Liberty stands in Upper New York Bay, a universal symbol of freedom. Originally conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the U.S. and a sign of their mutual desire for liberty, over the years the Statue has become much more.
The Hebrew word for Levite (lew) indicates a descendant of Levi, the son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen 29:34 ). There were three family clans within the tribe of LeviGershon, Kohath, and Meraribut it was only Kohath who supplied the Aaronic priests.
The only remaining Israelites were the residents of the Kingdom of Judah, and the term Yehudi or Jew came to refer to all the Israelites, regardless of their tribal ancestry. But there is also a deeper meaning to the name Jew. The first individual to be called a Jew (Yehudi) in the Scriptures was Mordecai, of Purim fame. There was a man, a Yehudi, in Shushan the capital, whose name was Mordecai . . . a Yemini (Esther 2:5).