St. Elizabeth is commonly known as the mother of St. John the Baptist, as well as a close relative of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She is also frequently depicted in art as an older woman, typically with grey hair, even as she is pregnant with St. John the Baptist.
How old was she when she conceived and gave birth to St. John the Baptist? Did she conceive when she was in her 80s?
Advanced in years
The Gospel of Luke provides some details about her age:
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (Luke 1:6-7)
This detail doesn't provide us an exact age, but it does give us a few clues.
The fact the Elizabeth was previously unable to conceive likely points to an age above 40, as it appears from the biblical text that there is no natural chance that Elizabeth could become pregnant. She needed divine intervention in order to conceive a child.
How much older than 40?
Luke is clearly painting her as old, but the average lifespan in the 1st century was significantly shorter than in modern times. Historians typically agree that the average lifespan was 35 years, but that many people could live into the 60s and 70s.
The only other clue we have from the text is that her husband, Zechariah, was still serving as priest for the Jewish temple. This means he was able-bodied and had enough strength to do his priestly duties. While this doesn't tell us anything about Elizabeth's age, it does mean that Zechariah wasn't too old or disabled to fulfill his tasks.
The last reality that can help us deduce what age she could have been is the fact that she gave birth in her old age. While it's possible that God could have provided her with extraordinary health, it isn't mentioned in the Bible. The only thing that is mentioned is the miraculous conception after her "barrenness." It would have been difficult, if not fatal, for any woman to give birth in their 70s or 80s.
From all of this available evidence it would appear that Elizabeth was between 40 and 60 years old when she conceived St. John the Baptist.
She was healthy enough to give birth, but old in the sense that she was past typical childbearing years.
