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What do we know about Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist?
Elizabeth in the Bible is the wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist, and a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus. Her story is told in Luke 1:5-80. The Scriptures describe Elizabeth as a woman who is “righteous in the eyes of God, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commands and regulations” (Luke 1:6).
Who was Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist?
Elizabeth (also spelled Elisabeth; Hebrew: אֱלִישֶׁבַע / אֱלִישָׁבַע “My God has sworn”, Standard Hebrew: Elišévaʿ / Elišávaʿ, Tiberian Hebrew: ʾĔlîšéḇaʿ / ʾĔlîšāḇaʿ; Greek: Ἐλισάβετ Elisabet / Elisavet) was the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zechariah, according to the Gospel of Luke.
Close family ties were well established before his birth, as evidenced in St. Luke’s biblical account of the travel of the Virgin Mary to Jordan to visit Elizabeth, her “cousin.” Elizabeth was actually Mary’s aunt, sister of Anna, Mary’s mother. Jesus was baptized by his cousin John when he asked for this at age 30.
How did Elizabeth help Mary in the Bible?
Mary is blessed for believing the Lord’s promises. In this way, Elizabeth’s words anticipate Jesus’s blessing of those who hear the word of the Lord and obey (Luke 11:28). She encourages Mary by celebrating her faith as well as her role as mother of Jesus.
Did Elizabeth give birth to John the Baptist?
The birth of John the Baptist was a miracle. Here’s why. With the help of an angel, Zechariah and Elizabeth conceived a child despite their advanced age.
Why did Elizabeth hide her pregnancy?
Some have proposed that Elizabeth’s hiding serves to keep her pregnancy secret until the time of the angel’s annunciation to Mary. As a postmenopausal woman, however, she did not have the telltale pregnancy marker of a missed menstrual period. Thus, she hid herself before she had any physical evidence of pregnancy.
What is the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist?
According to the Gospel of Luke, John and Jesus were relatives. Some scholars maintain that John belonged to the Essenes, a semi-ascetic Jewish sect who expected a messiah and practiced ritual baptism. John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his pre-messianic movement.