Mary's Lineage

[charity's child]

I have a question. While I was reading next week's Sunday School lesson (which I usually do faithfully through January then get busy for the rest of the year ) I read that Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. Of course we knew Zechariah was a Levite. But I hadn't realized before that Elizabeth was, also. We know Mary was Elizabeth's cousin. Was Mary also of the tribe of Levi? I ask because somewhere I had heard that Mary was of Judah and that one of the two lineages given in the New Testament was actually hers.

If Mary was of Levi and Joseph was of Judah, would this have given Jesus privileges as a priest as well as the lineage of the king?

Any experts who can explain please? Thanks.

[Bill Hamblin]

Elizabeth was "from the daughters of Aaron" (Lk 1.5).

Elizabeth is a suggenis (kinswoman, relative) of Mary (Lk 1.36)--not specifically a cousin, but some type of relative.

What this probably means is that Mary's mother was probably of Aaronid lineage (perhaps sister of Elizabeth, and thus Elizabeth would be Mary's aunt). But her father was not a Levite, and therefore the family would not be a priestly clan.

[Palerider]

I have a question. While I was reading next week's Sunday School lesson (which I usually do faithfully through January then get busy for the rest of the year ) I read that Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. Of course we knew Zechariah was a Levite. But I hadn't realized before that Elizabeth was, also. We know Mary was Elizabeth's cousin. Was Mary also of the tribe of Levi? I ask because somewhere I had heard that Mary was of Judah and that one of the two lineages given in the New Testament was actually hers.

If Mary was of Levi and Joseph was of Judah, would this have given Jesus privileges as a priest as well as the lineage of the king?

Any experts who can explain please? Thanks.

Not an expert here but I believe Mary's lineage is declared in Luke 3 through her father Heli, while in Matthew, Joseph is declared through his father, Jacob. The text is slightly confusing in Luke, but they are definitely two different geneologies. And she is of Judah. Christ would have had no need for Levitical priesthood since his Priesthood was of the higher and eternal nature of Melchizedek's anyway.

[Kiviuq]

Why is the linage of Mary

[changed]

... one of the two lineages given in the New Testament was actually hers.

Luke gives a different genealogy than Mathew for Jesus.

Mathew starts out:

1 THE book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of aDavid, the son of Abraham.

2 aAbraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat bJudas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat aPhares and bZara of Thamar; and Phares begat cEsrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and aNaasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat aBooz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat aSolomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to aBabylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat aZorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat aJoseph the husband of bMary, of whom was born cJesus, dwho is called eChrist.

(New Testament | Matthew 1:1 - 16)

a little about Mathew:

Matthew. Gift of God. Known before his conversion as Levi, son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). He was a tax gatherer at Capernaum, probably in the service of Herod Antipas, in whose tetrarchy Capernaum was. Soon after his call he gave a feast to his old associates (Matt. 9:9

[Palerider]

Why is the linage of Mary

[katherine the great]

IMO Mary's lingeage is important because she was from Galilee which was full of the descendants of forced converts in the centuries before Christ's birth. Jesus needs to be shown to be genetically Israelite so even though stepfather Joseph would give him tribal affiliation. Mary would determine his "Jewishness."