LIVING LONG: MEN OF AGES
Back in biblical times, longevity wasn’t such a big deal. Heck, Moses lived 120 years without missing a step, according to the Bible. Noah kept trekking 350 years after the flood-living a colossal 950 years. And we hardly need mention Methuselah’s claim to fame. At 969 years of age, he’s credited with being the oldest man in history.
How’d they do it?
With all due respect, they most likely didn’t. Theologians have mulled this question for years. By considering traditions of the time, they have developed very human explanations for what appear to be superhuman life spans.
“No one really has the answer, but there are two very plausible explanations,” says the Reverend Glenn Asquith Jr., Ph.D., professor of pastoral theology at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “One is that the Israelites counted time differently. Some have theorized that they followed a lunar rather than a solar calendar.”
An even better explanation is that the Israelites loved their heroes much in the way we do-by making them larger than life. It’s like all of the embellishment surrounding George Washington, the Reverend Dr. Asquith says. “Most of these stories were passed down orally. So, with each telling, they likely became embellished. Since longevity was a sign of God’s blessing to the ancient Israelites, it makes sense that they would make their heroes out to be ancient.”
*4/36/5*
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