The Virgin Incarnation of God 

obstacles. As stated above, it may have taken Zechariah more than a day of travel. If he left on Wednesday 

evening, when the day ended at sunset, he could travel several miles, then rest for the night. The next day, he 

would still have over 20 miles to travel, a distance which could be walked in a single day. Thus, he may have 

arrived home as early as Thursday evening, April 19, or at the latest on Friday before sunset, April 20. Since 

the Sabbath begins on Friday at sunset, Zechariah, would have wanted to arrive home before the Sabbath 

began. He could not have traveled on the Sabbath, because he was both a priest and a devout Jew, so he could 

not have arrived home on the Sabbath (Saturday). So Zechariah could have arrived home on Thursday, April 

19, or on Friday, April 20. 

    However, Joseph and Mary arrived on the next day after Zechariah arrived home. They were also devout 

Jews and would not have traveled on the Sabbath.

300

 They arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth's home on the 

day after Zechariah returned, so they must have been traveling during that day. The day they arrived could not 

have been a Saturday, because Joseph and the Virgin Mary would not have broken the Sabbath by traveling on 

that day. Therefore Zechariah did not arrive at his home on Friday, April 20, because the next day was the 

Sabbath, a day on which Joseph and Mary would not have traveled. Zechariah must have arrived home on 

Thursday, April 19, so that Joseph and Mary arrived on the following day, Friday, before the Sabbath began at 

sunset. Therefore, the Visitation of the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth occurred on Friday, April 20, before sunset. 

    Zechariah would not have taken longer to travel from Jerusalem to his home in Jutta. He was a priest in 

service at the Temple in the Jerusalem and was used to traveling this particular route. People in that time 

period were accustomed to traveling on foot and would be able to walk 20 miles or more in a day. Zechariah 

was traveling alone and so could travel as quickly as he wanted. Also, he most likely wanted to arrive home 

before the Sabbath, since he was a Jewish priest. On the other hand, Joseph was traveling with a young wife 

and so took longer to make the same journey. Also, Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that Joseph and Mary 

took a longer route to avoid the crowds.

301

 Thus they arrived a day later. 

The Birth of Saint John the Baptist 

     And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.  (Lk 1:56). 

    Sacred Scripture tells us that the Virgin Mary remained with Elizabeth for  about three months.  Since the 

word  about  is used, this is not the exact length of time. As with the verse from Luke's Gospel which tells us 

that Jesus began His ministry when he was  about thirty years of age  (Lk 3:23), God's Holy Infallible 

Scripture would not have used the word  about  if this was the exact length of time. So then, the Virgin Mary 

did not stay with Elizabeth for exactly 3 months, but for some number of days more or less than three months. 

    Sacred Scripture does not tell us whether or not the Virgin Mary remained for the birth of John the Baptist. 

The birth of John is mentioned in the verse immediately following the statement that Mary returned home 

from visiting Elizabeth (Lk 1:56 57). However, this does not necessarily mean that Mary left before John was 

born. 

    According to Blessed Anne Catherine, the Virgin Mary went to visit Elizabeth to help her during her 

pregnancy, and she did remain with Elizabeth until after the birth of John.  The Blessed Virgin returned home 

to Nazareth after John's birth and before his circumcision. 

302

 It makes sense that Mary would remain until 

after John was born, since she went to assist Elizabeth during the latter part of her pregnancy, which was the 

time when Elizabeth would be most in need of assistance. 

    Since John was conceived on or after Tishri 24, a day which began at sunset on Sept. 26 of 16 

B.C.

,

303

 he 

would most likely have been born about nine months later in late June of 15 

B.C.

 A full term pregnancy is 

considered to be 38 weeks (266 days) from conception. In our society today, 90% of births occur within a time 

frame of 266 days, plus or minus 2 weeks, from conception.

304

 If John was conceived the night of Sept. 26/27 

(at the start of Tishri 24), then 266 days would be completed on June 19 (Sivan 24 in the Jewish calendar).

305

The most probable time period for the birth of John the Baptist would then be a four week period of time from 

June 6 to July 3, inclusive.

306

 If John was conceived a day or more after Tishri 24, then the probable time 

frame for his birth would be moved forward by that number of days. However, John's conception could not 

have taken place later than about Tishri 28, because Elizabeth had begun her sixth month on or before AdarI 

28, the date of the Incarnation. Therefore, the 4 week probable time frame for the birth of John could be 

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