Elisheba (;) was the wife of the Israelite prophet Aaron, who was the elder brother of Moses and the first High Priest of Israel, according to the Hebrew Bible.[1]
She was said to be a daughter of Amminadab from the Tribe of Judah, and a sister of Nahshon from the Tribe of Judah (Book of Exodus, Exodus 6:23).[2] The Hebrew name is composed of two parts; in one interpretation, "Eli" means "my God" and "sheba" means "oath".[3] The name Eli-sheba can thus be translated as "God is (my) oath".
The Hebrew Bible records that Elisheba and Aaron had four sons: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (Exodus 6:23). In order to be legitimately recognized as hereditary priests, Jews are required by halakha to be Levites of direct patrilineal descent from Eleazar and Ithamar, the two youngest sons of Aaron and Elisheba.
In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, a woman named Elisavet [4] is said to have been a descendant of Aaron and the wife of Zechariah, who was also a Jewish priest. Elisabet was a relative of Jesus' mother, Mary, and was the mother of John the Baptist with Zechariah.[5]
Elizabeth is the common English-language variant of Elisabet, which is derived from Elisheba.[6]
Isabel is the Spanish and Portuguese version of the name Elisheba or Elizabeth in English.
Elisabetta is the Italian version of the name Elizabeth.
Alishba is a modern name that is believed to have been derived from an Arabic-language translation of Elisheba. It is prevalent among Muslims in the Indian subcontinent.