‘…the sixth month…’

The Solemnity of the Annunciation, just two days away on March 25, is a celebration of what was the beginning of God’s plan for our salvation, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a celebration of God’s invitation to Mary, delivered by the archangel Gabriel, to become the mother of God. And upon her acceptance, it is the date she conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35)

In the “New American Bible,” most-often used by Catholics, Luke’s description of the joyous event cites that Gabriel’s visit to Mary took place in “the sixth month.”

(26) In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, (27) to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Luke 1:26-27

I have, for my entire life, glossed over the reference “the sixth month” when reading Luke 1:26-27.  In anticipation of the Feast of the Annunciation, I was pondering the exact time of year this took place. We know that there are nine months between March 25 and December 25 when Mary gave birth, so what does “ the sixth month” refer to?

In my mind, it would be June, the sixth month on our calendar. But that would only allow six months for a full-term pregnancy for Mary, so that wouldn’t be right.

Was “the sixth month” based on another calendar, such as the Jewish calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycle? The first month on the Jewish calendar is Nissan and it coincides with the month of March on the Gregorian calendar, which most of the world uses. (Note: the Gregorian calendar is named for Pope Gregory VIII, who created it in 1582.)

After looking further into this, it is apparent that “the sixth month” refers to the point in time of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.  You can see from the list below that various versions of the Bible have concluded that Luke’s time reference was in regard to Mary’s relative, Elizabeth. Later it is written that Mary stayed for about three months, which would have been through Elizabeth’s last trimester. It’s assumed by scholars that Mary witnessed the birth of John the Baptist. That would have occurred in June (on our Gregorian calendar), six months before Jesus was born.

According to simplycatholic.com: “June 24 was eventually chosen as the date for the solemnity (of the Nativity of John the Baptist) because scripture tells us that John was conceived six months before Jesus (see Lk 1:36). Presumably, then, John was born about six months before Christ, and Christ’s nativity was celebrated on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.”

Various versions of the bible have concluded that Luke’s time reference was in regard to Mary’s relative, Elizabeth. The following list is from Biblehub.com . It is interesting to see which include a reference to Elizabeth and which do not.

New International Version
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

New Living Translation
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,

English Standard Version
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

Berean Study Bible
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

Berean Literal Bible
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee whose name was Nazareth,

King James Bible
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

New King James Version
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

New American Standard Bible
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth,

NASB 1995
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

NASB 1977
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,

Amplified Bible
Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

Christian Standard Bible
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

American Standard Version
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But in the six month, Gabriel the Angel was sent from the presence of God to Galilee to the city whose name was Nazareth,

Contemporary English Version
One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee

Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,

Good News Translation
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth.

International Standard Version
Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

Literal Standard Version
And in the sixth month the messenger Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which [is] Nazareth,

New American Bible
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

NET Bible
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

New Revised Standard Version
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

New Heart English Bible
Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Weymouth New Testament
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

World English Bible
Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Young’s Literal Translation
And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which is Nazareth,

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