Saint Elizabeth

Saint Elizabeth, also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva (Greek Ἐλισάβετ, from the Hebrew אֱלִישֶׁבַע / אֱלִישָׁבַע "My God is an oath"; Standard Hebrew Elišévaʿ ~ Elišávaʿ, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔlîšéḇaʿ ~ ʾĔlîšāḇaʿ) and in Arabic (إليصابات) was the mother of St. John the Baptist and the wife of St. Zachary/Zacharias, according... to the Gospel of Luke. She is also known by the variants of her first name, such as Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle, etc.

The name Elizabeth, which has been borne by several saints, means in Hebrew "worshiper of God."

Relation to Virgin Mary

Not very much is known about St. Elizabeth. In Luke 1:36, Elizabeth is described as a relative of Mary. The Greek word used is συγγενής, which can refer to various forms of kinship.According to the Catholic Encyclopedia their relation is given by St. Hippolytus, according to whom they are cousins; the mother of Elizabeth, Sobe and the mother of Mary, Saint Anne are sisters. The mother of Mary is also known from another source, the infancy Gospel of James.

Some translations of this verse states their relations as relative, kinswoman or 'of your family', others such as the King James, states that they are cousins.

In The Bible

According to the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron the priest (Luke 1:5). She and her husband Zechariah were "righteous before God, living blamelessly" (1:6), but childless. Zechariah was visited by the angel Gabriel, who told him his wife would have a son who "will be great in the sight of the Lord" (1:15).

The pregnant Elizabeth received a visit from her relative, Mary (1:36), who was pregnant with Jesus:

And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and she cried out with a loud voice:
"Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (1:41-42)

15th century depiction of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, with Elizabeth on the left.When Mary heard this she recited what is now known as the Magnificat. This event is called the Visitation.

Elizabeth is not mentioned in the Christian Bible outside of the Gospel of Luke, but she is mentioned in several books of the Apocrypha, most prominently in the Protevangelion of James, in which the birth of her son and the subsequent murder of her husband are chronicled.

Elizabeth is revered as a saint in the Orthodox and Anglican traditions on September 5, on the same day with her husband St. Zachary/Zechariah.

Her Praying. † Amen †