The Visitation retells 2 Samuel 6 — Pitre's five parallels

Luke paints Mary's journey as David's procession bringing the Ark to Jerusalem — a deliberate, point-for-point echo identifying Mary as the new Ark. Pitre's table (pp 55–56) has five rows; the first is the Annunciation itself, where the Spirit 'overshadows' Mary as the cloud overshadowed the tabernacle (Exodus 40:35; Luke 1:35), and the other four are the Visitation parallels below. Even the odd 'three months' detail is an Ark allusion — Pitre asks why Luke did not simply say Mary stayed 'until John was born' (p 57).

• Exodus 40:34, Luke 1:35 — (1) the cloud 'overshadows' the tabernacle (v. 35) → the power of the Most High overshadows Mary.
• 2 Samuel 6:2, Luke 1:39 — (2) both 'arose and went' to the hill country of Judah.
• 2 Samuel 6:9, Luke 1:43 — 'how can the ark come to me?' → 'the mother of my Lord.'
• 2 Samuel 6:15, Luke 1:41 — (3) David leaps / John leaps 'for joy' (Luke 1:44); both greeted with a loud cry (Luke 1:42).
• 2 Samuel 6:11, Luke 1:56 — the Ark stays three months → Mary stays three months.

Luke retells David's procession of the Ark point-for-point — the journey, the cry of unworthiness, the leaping, the three months. Pitre argues the parallels are too many to be accidental: Luke is quietly revealing Mary as the new Ark.

• Septuagint — the Greek of 2 Samuel 6 that Luke echoes (pp 55–56) · read
• Modern scholars Pitre cites — Max Thurian on Elizabeth's 'great cry' (p 56)