Many Catholics grow up with devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as something familiar. The Rosary, Marian feast days, titles like Our Lady of Lourdes or Queen of Heaven, images of Mary holding the Christ Child. Yet some people might wonder whether Marian devotion developed later in Church history, apart from Scripture itself.
Many Biblical scholars argue the opposite.
Brandt Pitre in his book, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, traces Marian devotion back into the Old Testament and the world of ancient Judaism, showing that many Catholic beliefs about Mary are deeply connected to Scripture and to the way the earliest Christians understood Jesus Himself.
One of the most important ideas is the role of the queen mother in the kingdom of David.
In ancient Israel, the king’s wife was not typically the queen. The king often had many wives. Instead, the queen held a unique role as the king’s mother. She acted as an advocate and intercessor for the people. In the First Book of Kings, Bathsheba approaches her son Solomon, and the king rises to greet her, bows before her, and seats her at his right hand.
If Jesus is the new Davidic king, then His mother would naturally hold the role of queen mother in His kingdom. Catholics see this fulfilled in Mary, not as a rival to Christ, but as one who always points toward Him.
Pitre also connects Mary to the Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark carried the presence of God in the Old Testament. It contained the stone tablets of the Law, the manna from heaven, and the staff of the high priest Aaron. In the Gospel of Luke, many details surrounding Mary intentionally echo Old Testament descriptions of the Ark. Mary carries within her not the word of God written on stone, but the Word made flesh. She carries the true Bread from Heaven and the eternal High Priest.
The parallels are difficult to ignore once they are seen.
Even the language surrounding the Visitation reflects this connection. David once asked, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” Elizabeth similarly asks, “Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Both David and Mary travel into the hill country of Judah. Both accounts describe rejoicing before the presence of God.
Marian devotion ultimately flows from Christology. Catholics honor Mary because of who Jesus is.
The more the early Christians understood Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, the more they also understood the role of His mother within salvation history. Devotion to Mary was never meant to stop with Mary herself. It always leads more deeply to Christ.
That remains true in Catholic prayer today. The Rosary itself is deeply biblical, built around meditation on the life of Christ through the eyes of the woman closest to Him. Marian devotion is not separate from Scripture. It is woven through it.
A rosary tucked into a pocket or bag can become a small reminder of something Christians have reflected on for centuries: God chose to enter history through Mary, and the Church still turns to her as a mother who leads us to her Son. The Personalized Queen of Angels Rosary Pouch features classic Marian artwork and is designed to protect and carry your rosary wherever you go. Find yours today at The Catholic Company!
