Elisabeth

Luke i. 5.ELISABETH, the wife of Zechary, and mother of John-Baptist. St. Luke says, that she was of the daughters of Aaron, that is to say, of the race of the Priests. But all that is said of her father and mother is by no means certain. So much we know, that the Angel having declared to Zechary the future birth of John the Baptist, and Zechary returning to his own house, Elisabeth conceived. The Greek Church makes a festival of St. John’s conception in the womb of his mother, and observes it on the 23d of September, and it is set down on the 24th of the same month in the most ancient Latin Kalendars. Elisabeth for five months concealed the favour which Luke i. 24, 25. Luke i. 36, 37.God had done her; but the angel Gabriel discovered it to the Virgin Mary, and revealed this miraculous conception to her, as an earnest and assurance of the birth of the Messiah, whose mother she was to be, without having conversation with any man.

Immediately Mary with great diligence prepared to go to Hebron, there to visit her cousin Elisabeth. As soon as she came into Zechary’s house, and had saluted her, the child, which Elisabeth was big with, leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth full of the Holy Ghost, said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Whence does this happiness proceed, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? for as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things, which were told her from the Lord. Mary continued three months with Elisabeth, and was in all probability a witness to those wonders, which happened at the birth of this holy forerunner of our Saviour. For when the child was to be circumcised upon the eighth day, as some gave him the name of Zechary, his mother answered, that his name was John. A sign was made to Zechary, who ever since the Angel’s appearance to him, had been dumb; and he calling for a table-book, wrote, His name is John: and immediately the string of his tongue was loosed, and he began to praise God.

The eastern people¹ believe, that Herod having resolved upon the death of Zechary’s son and the infants of Bethlehem, his mother Elisabeth carried him to the mountains, in order to conceal him there; but finding herself not able to climb up, she addressed herself to the mountain, and said, Thou mountain of God receive me and my child; whereupon it immediately opened, received them both, and hid them. The Angel of the Lord was present as a guard to them, and they were surrounded with light. In the mean time Herod sent to Zechary, and enquired of him, where his son was: Zechary refusing to declare this secret to him, this Prince commanded him to be killed, in the Temple, between the Altar of Burnt-sacrifices, and the Porch of the Temple. This is what we read more at length in St. James’s Proto-evangelium, or preparatory Gospel, and in other ancient monuments, which the Church has not received as authentick As to the relation between the Virgin and Elisabeth, there can be no difficulty concerning it; for although Elisabeth was of the Tribe of Aaron, and Mary of that of Judah, they might notwithstanding be very near akin, whether any relation of Mary, of the Tribe of Judah, had married, for example, Elisabeth, or Elisabeth’s father had married any woman of the Tribe of Judah related to Mary. No Law obliged the Jewish Priests to marry women only of their own Tribes, nor forbad women of the sacerdotal families to marry men of any other Tribe than that of Levi. There was only one case, wherein women were compel’d to marry in their own Tribes, and that was, when for want of Numb. xxvii. 1, 2, & seq. & xxxvi. 1, 2, 3, -6. Epiphan. de vita & morte Proph. Eufeb. & Hieronym. in Abelmeüla.brothers they were heiresses in their respective families.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages