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Elisheba
Biblical figure
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elisheba (/əˈlɪʃɪbə/; (original) Hebrew: אֱלִישֶׁבַע, romanized: ’Ělīševa‘) was the wife of Aaron, the older brother of Moses and the first High Priest of Israel. She was mentioned once in Exodus 6:23 in the Torah and the Old Testament.[1][2]
Elisheba | |
|---|---|
| אֱלִישֶׁבַע | |
,_with_the_Israelites_Camped_before_Mount_Sinai_and_Moses_Ascending_the_Mountain._MET_DP801461.jpg) Aaron and Nadab take leave of Elisheba (pictured from left to right), camped before Mount Sinai, while Moses ascends. | |
| Born | |
| Died | Unknown |
| Resting place | Tiberias, Israel |
| Other names | Elisheva (original form) |
| Known for | Being the wife of Aaron, and the matriarch of the first Kohanim of Israel; she is also remembered as one of the prominent women among women in the Bible. |
| Spouse | Aaron |
| Children | |
| Father | Amminadab |
| Relatives | |
In the Torah
In the book of Exodus, she was said to be a daughter of Amminadab from the Tribe of Judah and a sister of Nahshon.[4] The Hebrew name Elisheva is composed of two parts: "Eli", from Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים), one of the Hebrew words for God, and "sheva", which roughly translates to "oath".[5][6] Thus, the name Elisheva translated into English means "God is my oath"[7] or "my God is an oath".[8]
The Torah mentions that Elisheba and Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.[4] As per halakha, in order for a Jewish person to be legitimately recognized as one of the Kohanim (Hebrew: כֹּהֲנִים) and a member of the priestly lineage/bloodline, they must be a Levite of direct patrilineal descent from Eleazar and Ithamar, the two youngest sons of Aaron and Elisheba (i.e. be descendants of Aaron on both sides of the family).[9][10][11]
In the Christian Bible
In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, a woman named Elisabet (Greek: Ἐλισάβετ) is said to have been a descendant of Aaron and the wife of Zechariah, who was also a Jewish priest.[12] Elisabet was a relative of Jesus' mother, Mary,[13] and was the mother of John the Baptist with Zechariah.[14]
Derivations
In English
Elizabeth is the common English-language variant of Elisabet, which is derived from Elisheva.[15][16]
In Spanish/Portuguese
Isabel is the Spanish and Portuguese version of the name Elisheva or Elizabeth in English.[17]
In Italian
Elisabetta is the Italian version of Elizabeth,[18] while Isabella is the Italian version of Elisheva.[19][20]
In the Muslim world
Alishba is a modern name that is believed to have been derived from an Arabic-language translation of Elisheva.[21] It is prevalent among Muslims in the Indian subcontinent.[22]
