Sobe (sister of Saint Anne)
Encyclopedia
Sobe also known as Sovin, was the mother of St. Elizabeth
and a sister of St. Anne
, according to medieval Byzantine sources.
The Bible records only that Elizabeth as a descendant of Aaron
and a cousin (or relative) of Mary
. The name of Sobe first appears in writings of about the eighth century by Hippolytus of Thebes
, Andrew of Crete
, and Epiphanius Monachus, and later in Nicephorus Callistus
and Andronicus. All recount essentially the same passage, given by the last two as follows:
The nineteenth-century mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich
claims that, according to her visions, which give a detailed genealogy of Mary, Sobe was a sister of Anne, but the mother of Elizabeth was Emerentia, Sobe's maternal aunt.
Elizabeth (Biblical person)
Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva...
and a sister of St. Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
, according to medieval Byzantine sources.
The Bible records only that Elizabeth as a descendant of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
and a cousin (or relative) of Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
. The name of Sobe first appears in writings of about the eighth century by Hippolytus of Thebes
Hippolytus of Thebes
Hippolytus of Thebes was a Byzantine author of the seventh or eighth century. His Chronicle, preserved only in part, is an especially valuable source for New Testament chronology....
, Andrew of Crete
Andrew of Crete
For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete .Saint Andrew of Crete For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete (martyr).Saint Andrew (Andreas) of Crete (also known as Andrew of Jerusalem) For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete (martyr).Saint...
, and Epiphanius Monachus, and later in Nicephorus Callistus
Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos
Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos, latinized as Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopulus , of Constantinople, the last of the Greek ecclesiastical historians, flourished around 1320....
and Andronicus. All recount essentially the same passage, given by the last two as follows:
There were three sisters of BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, daughters of Matthan the priest, and Mary his wife, under the reign of Cleopatra and Sosipatrus, before the reign of HerodHerod the GreatHerod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
, the son of Antipater: the eldest was Mary, the second was Sobe, the youngest’s name was AnneSaint AnneSaint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
. The eldest being married in Bethlehem, had for daughter Salome the midwife; Sobe the second likewise married in Bethlehem, and was the mother of ElizabethElizabeth (Biblical person)Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva...
; last of all the third married in GalileeGalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, and brought forth Mary the mother of Christ.
The nineteenth-century mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich
Anne Catherine Emmerich
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich was a Roman Catholic Augustinian nun, stigmatic, mystic, visionary and ecstatic....
claims that, according to her visions, which give a detailed genealogy of Mary, Sobe was a sister of Anne, but the mother of Elizabeth was Emerentia, Sobe's maternal aunt.