Biblical age
Biblical age is a proverbial phrase for very old or unrealistically old age . The expression goes back to some unusually high age information in the Old Testament , especially in the text parts chronologically before the Flood .
In the Sumerian list of kings , too , rulers are assigned unrealistically long lifetimes, sometimes over 30,000 years.
Age information in the Old Testament
Age data unrealistic from a scientific point of view are given in the book of Genesis for Methuselah (969 years of age), Jered (962 years), Noah (950 years), Adam (930 years), Mahalalel (895) and Enoch (365 years). In Gen 6: 1-4 EU God finally limits the lifetime to one hundred and twenty years (age of death of Moses). The highest well-documented age ever reached by a human is 122 years. A typical age of 70 to 80 years for Israelites is mentioned in Ps 90,10 EU .
Discussion about Old Testament ages
The high ages for Methuselah and other people from the Old Testament and other ancient scriptures have long been a concern for people. There are therefore various attempts to explain this. For example, spelling mistakes are mentioned that the underlying number system has changed over time or that they are symbolic numbers (3 × 40 = 120).
Another hypothesis points out that there was a transition from lunar periods to solar periods in the calendar calculation and that figures in the records were not changed accordingly. For Methusalem's age it is assumed in this explanatory model that months of a lunar calendar were originally given. With a conversion factor of about 0.08 for solar years, his real age would then be about 78 years. In contrast, however, there are other age specifications such as Gen 11.10–12 EU . Accordingly, Arpachschad would have fathered Schelach when he was just under three years old .
It is predominantly assumed by religious scholars and theologians that numbers did not have the clear meaning they have today at the time the Old Testament was written. Rather, it means that one should have respect for these people. Thus, the numbers should not be taken literally.
Some faithful Christians, including B. Evangelicals or Jehovah's Witnesses take the high ages of the Bible literally. God originally created humans perfectly for an eternal life , without old age or hereditary diseases , which not only explains the old age in the time up to the flood.