Saint Elizabeth
statue of Saint Elizabeth in the parish church of Memmelsdorfnear Bamberg, Franconiain northern Bavaria(Germany)
Righteous
Born	1st century BC
Died	1st century AD
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Church Lutheran Church Islam
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Feast	November 5
Patronage	pregnant women dioceseof Fulda, Germany

Saint Elizabeth, also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva(Hebrewאֱלִישֶׁבַע / אֱלִישָׁבַע "My Godis an oath", Standard HebrewElišévaʿ ~ Elišávaʿ, Tiberian HebrewʾĔlîšéḇaʿ ~ ʾĔlîšāḇaʿ) was the mother of St. John the Baptistand the wife of St. Zachary/Zacharias, according to the New Testamentand the Quran.

Relation to Mary

In Luke 1:36 (Kings James Version) of the Bible Elizabeth is described as a relative of Mary. The Greek word used is συγγενίς, which can refer to various forms of kinship.^[1] According to the Catholic Encyclopediatheir relation is given by St. Hippolytus, according to whom they are cousins; the mother of Elizabeth, Sobeand the mother of Mary, Saint Anneare sisters ^[2]. 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 ^{[3] [4]} , kinswoman ^[5] or 'of your family' ^[6] , others such as the King James, states that they are cousins. ^[7]

In The Bible

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

The pregnant Elizabeth was visitedby 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 are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (1:41-42)

When Mary heard this she recited the Magnificat.

Elizabeth is not mentioned in the New Testament outside of the Gospel of Luke. Elizabeth is also 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.

Sainthood

Elizabeth is revered as a saint in the Roman Catholic Churchon November 5, and in the Orthodoxand Anglicantraditions on September 5, on the same day with her husband St. Zachary/Zechariah. She is commemorated as a matriarchin the Calendar of Saints(September 5) of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synodand Zechariah is commemorated as a prophet.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Visitation (Christian)

 Notes and references