Elizabeth (ee-LIZ-uh-beth) was the mother of John the Baptist and a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke presents her as a faithful older woman whose pregnancy and welcome of Mary belong to the opening of the Gospel story.
Birth year: Unknown.
Death year: Unknown.
Active during: The late first century BC, during the reign of Herod the Great and shortly before Jesus’s birth. Her exact age and lifespan are not recorded.
Family: Wife of a priest; mother of John the Baptist; relative of Mary.
Home: An unnamed town in the hill country of Judea.
Main passage: Luke 1.
Her family
Her husband was the priest Zechariah (zeh-kuh-RYE-uh). Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses associated with Israel’s priesthood. Luke calls Mary her relative without specifying the degree of kinship. Calling them cousins is a tradition rather than a precise statement in the NIV text (Luke 1:5, 36).
Her story in Luke
Elizabeth and Zechariah were old and had no children. While he served in the temple, an angel announced that they would have a son named John. Elizabeth later became pregnant and spoke of God’s kindness toward her (Luke 1:5–25).
Mary visited during Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy. Elizabeth’s child leaped, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. She blessed Mary and the child Mary carried. Mary stayed about three months (Luke 1:39–56).
When Elizabeth gave birth, neighbors and relatives shared her joy. At the child’s naming, she insisted that he be called John. Zechariah confirmed the name in writing and regained his speech (Luke 1:57–64). John later called people to prepare for Jesus.
Place and tradition
Christian tradition locates the meeting with Mary at Ein Karem, now in the Jerusalem area. The Church of the Visitation commemorates it. Luke names the hill country but not the town; the traditional shrine is not proof of an identified first-century house.
What is unknown
Luke does not tell us when Elizabeth died or how much of her son’s later life she saw. The portrait is an imagined historical illustration. Its specific face and age are not documented. Her faith is explicitly recognized before her pregnancy, not earned by it.
Explore the location and traditional-site map.
Read further
Luke 1, NIV; BiblicalTraining: Elizabeth; Custody of the Holy Land: Church of the Visitation.