We often forget that a person has two parents. It states in Luke that Elizabeth is a descendant from the daughters of Aaron. It is highly possible that in Elizabeth’s lineage there was a person who was a Levite married to a person from Judah who just so happens to be a close relative of Mary. Let’s don’t make it more difficult than it is and definitely let’s don’t try and rewrite or redefine Scripture. As far as stating that the word translated cousin or relative or kinswoman means that both are just Israelites is not the true definition of the word. It not only means both are related through the same son of Jacob but somewhere down the line their descendants were siblings.