Relationship between Mary/Elizabeth or Jesus/John? How were Mary and Elizabeth related, outside of the obvious of being of the children of Abraham.  Mary was of the tribe of Judah, and Elizabeth would have been a Levite.  How could Mary and Elizabeth be related that would make Jesus and John to be considered cousins?  

Luke 1:36


  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
The declaration in Luke 1:36 that Elizabeth is a relative of Mary comes from Gabriel.  

From Gabriel's introduction of himself to Zacharias we know that he is God's messenger and stands in the presence of God .   

Those who believe God's Word by faith will thus find a way to understand how Elizabeth is indeed an historical figure and is both a 'daughter of Aaron' as recorded by Luke, and a 'relative' of Mary, mother of Jesus, as declared by Garbriel.  

A reasonable explanation is that Elizabeth and Mary were related through Elizabeth's mother and not through her father.  If Elizabeth's mother was of the Tribe of Judah but her father was of the Tribe of Levi she could be called a daughter of Aaron.  Mary's father was certainly of the Tribe of Judah, and so was her husband, Joseph.  Mary's mother could also have been of the Tribe of Judah.  

This gives three possible ways in which Mary could be a relative of Elizabeth's, either by blood or by marriage.  The term 'relative' is most likely referring to a blood relationship, so it is reasonable to believe that they were related through Elizabeth's blood relationship to either Mary's father or mother in the Tribe of Judah.