King James Bible
"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."
Luke anchors his narrative in concrete history by referencing Herod the Great (ruled 37-4 BC), a brutal but effective king appointed by Rome. This temporal marker signals that God's redemptive plan unfolds within real political circumstances, during a period of foreign domination and messianic expectation. Zacharias belonged to the eighth of twenty-four priestly divisions established by David (1 Chronicles 24:10), each serving in the temple twice yearly. His identification by priestly course emphasizes his legitimate religious credentials and sets the stage for his upcoming temple encounter. Elisabeth's Aaronic lineage means both spouses descended from priestly families—a prestigious pedigree that underscores their devotion to Israel's covenant traditions. This double priestly heritage heightens the irony of their childlessness, which would have been seen as divine disfavor despite their exemplary religious standing.