Other references might have a narrower meaning, so that a kinsman is either a blood-relative or someone
from the same tribe, for example: ―Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners,...‖
(Rom 16:7) ―Salute Herodian my kinsman‖. (Rom 16:11) ―Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason,
and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you‖. (Rom 16:21)
In the context of Luke 1:34-37, it is not clear how Mary and Elizabeth were related. But it is not possible that
Miriam might have been a Cohen, the same as Elizabeth, because of Y‘shua‘s Pidyon HaBen (redeeming of
the firstborn) ceremony, as already explained. If inter-tribal marriage was possible, they could have been
blood-relatives from different tribes. We know for a fact that Y‘shua is from the tribe of Judah as there are
many Scriptures stating it. Our Y‘shua is the Lion of Zion, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and that settles it.
Interesting:
Is there a rule that only a Cohen can marry a Cohen? Not necessarily. According to the Mishnah, even the
daughter of a Proselyte father can marry a priest, provided her mother is not also a Proselyte.
―Mishnah 5. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: A woman who is a daughter of a Proselyte may not marry a priest
unless her mother was herself an Israelite woman. [This law applies equally to the offspring] whether of
proselytes or freed slaves, even to ten generations, unless their mother is an Israelite. A guardian, an agent,
a slave, a woman, one of doubtful sex, or a hermaphrodite bring the bikkurim, but do not recite, since they
cannot say: 'Which thou, O God, hast given unto me'―. (Mishna Mas. Bikkurim [First Fruits] Chapter 1)
In Jewish law, some time after the dispersion in A.D. 70, the rules changed so that the religious status of a
child was derived from the mother instead of the father, because in many cases the identity of the father was
unknown. Whatever the situation might have been in the days when the Oral Law was purely verbal, this
section of the Mishnah indicates a liberal attitude about who can marry a Cohen. The mother, who is
assumed to determine the religious status of the child, only needs to be an Israelite, not necessarily a
Cohen.
Regarding intermarriage generally between the tribes, there appears to be no restriction, provided an
inheritance does not pass from one tribe to another. If a woman marries a man from another tribe, she
becomes a member of that tribe. However, if she has an inheritance from her father, because she has no
brothers to take the inheritance, she may not marry into another tribe because she cannot take the
inheritance with her.
An example is the story of the daughters of Zelophelad in Num 27 and 36. Their father had died in the
desert, leaving no sons. Moses enquired of YHWH and gave the rule that the inheritance would pass to the
daughters. Then there was an inquiry about whether or not they could marry into another tribe, and Moses
ruled that they could only marry within their own tribe, to prevent the inheritance from passing from one tribe
to another.
How old was Miriam at the time she was pregnant?
The argument about the age of Miriam has the same status as the argument about her tribe. Since we
already know that Y‘shua was of the ―seed of David according to the flesh‖, because of his birth into
Yoseph's household, the age of Miriam becomes irrelevant; but we can argue about it for the sake of those
who want to.
The suggestion that Miriam was old is based on the use of the single word ―also" in the phrase ―She hath
also conceived a son in her old age". (Luke 1:36)
The anti-deity people have taken considerable liberty by suggesting that Miriam was old, on the basis of a
single word that has an ambiguous meaning and is more likely to refer to the fact that both Miriam and
Elizabeth would have a child.
There is also the suggestion that Yoseph was old, since he is not mentioned after the trip to Jerusalem when
Y‘shua was twelve years old, and he might have died. There is good reason to believe that he died; because
if he was alive, he would certainly have appeared at the crucifixion of Y‘shua, looking after Miriam. However,
he could have died at any age. For example, if he was 30 years old when he married Mary, he would have
been 63 at the time of the crucifixion, and there could have been plenty of reasons why he may have died.
There are good reasons to believe that Miriam was young:
She was espoused to Yoseph (Matt 1:18, Luke 1:27). As far as we know, she became the first and only wife
of Yoseph. If Yoseph had already been married and had children from other wives, they would have