If we study the lifespans of the Biblical figures from the Flood and on, they declined from 950 (Noah) to 600 (Shem) to the 400’s, and then to the 200’s. A2A - Why did people in biblical times live for hundreds of years? The supposed contradiction in these two verses has to do with the length of a person’s life on earth, namely their total years of existence. The three maps show the global history of life expectancy over the last two centuries. It is almost equally impossible for them to live 110, 120 or 133 years. Remember that just because men began to live shorter lives does not prove that God set a limit on man’s life span. As we read further in the book of Genesis, we come upon many people who lived much longer than 120 years, even after the Lord God made His declaration in Genesis 6. A quick intro and overview of our ministry and this website, plus some best-of articles and Q&A. No longer would the environment be perfect. The Bible does not clearly specify an allotted life span. This is how we know that the flood came exactly 120 years later. These peaks soar to a height of 25,550 feet (7788 m) and belong to the Karakoram Range, broadly known in the West as the Himalayas. The passage in Genesis seems to indicate that a human being will not be able to live beyond 120 years of age, but the passage in Psalms seems to limit the time span to 80 years. - The days of our years are three score years and ten. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Even though Abraham lived to 175 years, Moses lived only 120 years. This is how we know that the flood came exactly 120 years later. First, remember that proper interpretation of the Bible properly requires allowing the context of a passage drive our conclusions. In the Bible, Jesus himself never promises that a person's life lasts threescore and ten, or 70 years. Who knows - literally. How was Jesus healing the leper a Messianic miracle? God said He would only tolerate such extreme sin on the earth for another 120 years, at which point He would wipe out the earth with a flood. I think Moses was 120 when he died and that extra couple of decades is attributed to Jehovah prolonging his life. In Classical Rome it was 20 years at birth by default. Genesis 5:5 - And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.. Before the flood the Bible says that there was a vapor canopy around the entire world. Meaning that from Genesis 6:3, God would only allow 120 years before He destroyed the evil people. Scientists are just beginning to believe what the Bible tells us in Genesis 6:3. Psalms 90 says 70 or 80 years, which is the usual lifespan nowadays. Rather Psalm 91:16 applies to us, if we are walking with God: "With LONG LIFE will I SATISFY him." After The Flood In addition, the Bible speaks of people after the Flood as living for a long period of time. 2 Every country is shown in red. Interpreting v.3 to be a statement about human lifespan is both nonsensical (given the context) and irrelevant to the narrative overall. As far as I am aware some individuals have come to live very close to 120 years but not to 120. For example, Noah lived another 600 years after God's declaration, and Noah's sons also lived hundreds of years after this declaration. Today the life expectancy has jumped to around 81 years. That phrase is open to interpretation, and although it is common to find teachers claiming this passage limits man's lifespan, there is room for another, simpler, and more sensible interpretation. Bible verses about Life Expectancy. In the wilderness, did Jesus have supernatural power to resist temptation? I agree that the average life span was much less in ancient times. Is that verse meant to be taken literally or what? It is an example of the error of eisegesis. Biblical longevity refers to the claimed biologically-impossible life spans of some Biblical characters, which were often hundreds of years long. Not at all! I don't remember where I heard this but I wonder if it's true. Academic. Fossil remains of prehistoric hunter/gatherers had a life expectancy average of 35 years from around 50,000 BC so mortality rate didn't change much all the way to Roman times so we can safely say that the average life expectancy in "bible times" was 20-25 years at birth and increased to 40-50 years if the first 10 years were successfully passed. A. Of course, that was about 3000 years ago. Including photos each week from our outreaches and the weekly review. erodes confidence in the power of God's word. More than half died in infancy and many died in childhood. 9. (888) 867-7620. Therefore, we must not inject that idea into the meaning of verse 3. The bible says that no one will live longer than 120 years, but the world record for oldest person alive so far is 125. In Genesis 6:3 God declares an end to these long life spans. "Life span", the maximum age to which any human being can live under ideal circumstances, is now thought to be 110-120 years. Today the life expectancy has jumped to around 81 years. Abraham himself lived to be 175 years old ( … Abraham lived 175 years (Genesis 25:7), Jacob lived 147 years (Genesis 47:28), Joseph lived 110 years (Genesis 50:26), etc. And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Designed and developed by VBVMI in partnership with Giles-Parscale. So it's not really a coincidence if there's a precedent to look back on for reference. Even several generations later we still find men like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob living well past the age of 120 years. Notice in v.3 the Lord said that man's days "were numbered," referring to a coming judgment. Grace thru Faith is a 501(c)3 non-profit. In light of these facts, how can the long life spans described in Genesis 5 conceivably be true? Even in modern times, we can find well-documented examples of people who have lived beyond 120 years. However, another interpretation, which seems to be more in keeping with the context, is that Genesis 6:3 is God’s declaration that the flood would occur 120 years from His pronouncement. Biblical longevity refers to the claimed biologically-impossible life spans of some Biblical characters, which were often hundreds of years long. 120 years left of Adam's life. The Bible does not say man’s life span would be limited to 120 years, and in fact, several post-flood generations lived longer than that. Of course, that was about 3000 years ago. Genesis 5:5 - And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.. Before the flood the Bible says that there was a vapor canopy around the entire world. Even in modern times, we can find. I believe God stated that in 120 years the flood would come. Of course, it was always impossible for people to live 900 years or more. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. So in the second half of v.3, the Lord sets a limit on His patience. | Answers in Genesis We must choose the interpretation that fits the context and harmonizes with the rest of scripture, which is that God set a limit of 120 years before He would bring the flood on earth. Such poor biblical interpretation is more dangerous than it seems, because it reduces a believers' confidence in the authority of Scripture, especially when these manmade contradictions are brought to their attention (i.e., as when a person see a news report of someone living past 120 years and begins to question the trustworthiness of the Bible rather than questioning the accuracy of the teaching they heard). So in the second half of v.3, the Lord sets a limit on His patience. This made the average span of life much shorter, but the evidence is that the maximum life span in … Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. Some may live fewer years and some may live longer. Does that make the Bible wrong? All rights reserved. Verse 10. Hunza was a tiny kingdom located in a remote valley 100 miles (160 km) long and only one mile (1.6 km) wide, situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2590 m), and completely enclosed by mountain peaks. In the first half of v.3 the Lord declares He cannot allow these dire circumstances (i.e., Notice in v.3 the Lord said that man's days "were numbered," referring to a coming judgment. From now on they will live no longer than 120 years." Apart from the ones just mentioned, the Bible records Enosh lived 905 years, Cainan lived 910 years, Mahalaleel 895 years, and Jared 962 years. 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