While Zacharias was receiving this mysterious intimation within the Sanctuary, the people[189], who crowded the Temple-courts, were anxiously expecting his return, and marvelled at his unusual delay. At length he reappeared. But his strange aspect shewed that something had occurred. When questioned he could not return any answer, and intimated by signs that he had seen a vision in the Sacred Place. Then at the close of his week of ministration he returned to his own house, where, in accordance with the announcement of the Angel, Elisabeth _conceived, and hid herself for five months_ in quiet and peaceful retirement (Lk. i. 24). Six months after his appearance in the Temple, the same Angel was sent from God to NAZARETH[190], a secluded village unknown and unnamed in the Old Testament, hidden away amongst the hills of Galilee, and within the limits of the ancient tribe of Zebulun. At this village there lived a lowly Virgin named MARY, or Miriam. She belonged to the royal tribe of Judah, and the lineage of David (Lk. i. 32; Rom. i. 3), and was connected by marriage with Elisabeth (Lk. i. 27), who belonged to the tribe of Levi. Moreover, she was at this time betrothed to Joseph, who occupied a humble position as a carpenter at Nazareth, but like herself was _of the lineage of David_ (Lk. i. 27; ii. 4). To this lowly Virgin the Angel Gabriel now appeared, and announced that by virtue of the operation of the Holy Ghost, she should become the mother of a SON, whom she was to call JESUS[191] (_God the Saviour_). He should be great, and should be called the Son of the Highest, should _sit on the throne of His father David, and reign over the house of Jacob for ever_ (Lk. i. 30–33). Though at first startled at the sudden address of an angelic visitant (Lk. i. 29), the Virgin received his announcement with implicit faith, and prayed that it _might be with her according to his word_ (Lk. i. 38), and being informed of what had occurred to her relative Elisabeth, arose with haste to seek out her home amidst the Judæan hills. The journey of four or five days[192] accomplished, she reached the humble abode, and had no sooner crossed the threshold, and saluted the aged wife of Zacharias, than the other addressed her as _the mother of her Lord_, and fully confirmed the words of the angel. Thus assured of the certainty of the mighty event about to happen, the lowly virgin, like Hannah at the birth of Samuel, burst forth into words of holy praise and exultation, and gave utterance to the inspired hymn, which under the name of the _Magnificat_, remains one of the most precious treasures of the Church, and the most familiar of her hymns (Lk. i. 46–56).