How Did The Patriarchs Live so Long?

How Did The Patriarchs Live so Long?

In the Old Testament, we see people seem to live to extreme ages. One man named Methuselah lived for 969 years(Genesis 5:27)! These ages are extreme, so why does the Bible record them?

The Literal Interpretation:

This interpretation takes the ages as literal; Methuselah, for example, literally died at 969 years old. Many believe that these inflated years were in some way due to just recently leaving Eden so the bodies had to adjust to life outside of it. 

Numerology:

The ages of Patriarchs are metaphorical. In Mesopotamian culture, it was common for numbers to be used in a metaphorical sense to mean things. We still do this today like when we use numbers for ratings. If one notes that a woman is a 10, they do not literally mean she is 10 years old; rather, she is very pretty.  So perhaps these ages mean something similar. According to Kenneth Kitchen, "When Joseph died, he is reputed to have attained 110 years (Gen. 50:22). happens In an Egyptian setting, it cannot really be coincidence that this same figure happens to be the ideal life span in Egyptian aspirations," (Kitchen 351). According to Kitchen, it is possible Joseph's age aligns with Egyptian aspirations possibly meaning that he lived a good Egyptian life.

Clans:

Some have too claimed that these ages may aline with the ages of clans and how long they ruled. Methuselah's clan for example, would have reigned for 969 years.

Work Cited:

Kitchen, K. A.. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. United Kingdom, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.