Why Did Old Testament People Live So Long?

[Anijen]

Elder Smith in Man His Origin and Destiny stated that the scriptures should be read literally. While Elders Widtsoe and Elder Talmage ( who had passed away before the book came out) whom both had strong scientific backgrounds did not agree with Elder Smith. President Eyring's father, the well known scientist Henry Eyring, did not agree with then Elder Smith. The church has taken no official position on evolution or the age of the earth even though Elder Smith did. Elder Smith a great man took the high ground by "advocating scriptural literalism." I can see why, after Darwin, Mendels theories, the Scopes Monkey Trial, and with the growth in the technology of science.

 

With all this hullabaloo the church wondered what their most venerated scientist believed. Brother Eyring was given by the Brethren of the church many assignments such as articles he would write in church magazines, also he gave a nation wide address with permission of the church on CBS, in fact it was a church program called Church of the Air program and the title of the talk was Science and Faith. Brother Eyring  was approved by the church to speak his views on those subjects, even though some of them contradicted with Elder Smith. These talks balanced out science and religion. Brother Eyring was asked to speak at many events and he had always asked permission from the church to do so not because he didn't need it, but because of his views on science and religion, the First Presidency always gave brother Eyring their approval and sanction for them. Brother Eyring was even featured in a church sponsored film called "The Search for Truth"

 

My thoughts are; we know that Gods ways are higher than our ways. It reminds me of a quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie who once said that his "knowledge is but a sliver in a forest of redwood trees compared to God."  I believe our ancient prophets wrote in a way that with their lack of scientific knowledge the best they could, and as technology and science has progressed so much religion and science can certainly mesh together without animosity toward one another.

 

D&C 50:24

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Anijen

[thesometimesaint]

[JLHPROF]

So here we get into another "science vs. scripture" debate.  Science say man can't live to be 900 years old so scripture must be wrong/metaphorical/mistranslated, etc, etc...

 

My favorite speculative explanation for the ages goes like this (and please realize this isn't official in any way):

1. The earth was formed near Kolob (in orbit?) where the rotation of one day is equivalent to 1000 years where we are now.

2. At the time of "the fall" the earth literally fell from where it was near Kolob to it's present position where time moves much faster.

3. If the fall was a gradual process and not instant then it would explain why ages slowly began to shorten as the earth moved further from its orbit of Kolob and human physiology was exposed to the fallen conditions.

4. This gives rise to the saying that "in the day a man lives he shall surely die - aka, we are limited to 1000 years and the other scripture that states that during the Millennium (when the earth begins to move back towards God) that people will live to the age of a tree -aka lifespans will become longer again.

[thesometimesaint]

Because God is omnipotent any explanation that uses him is correct.

[bcuzbcuz]

The reason the OT credits these old patriarchs with such long lives is because the actually lived that long. The simplest explanation is usually the right one.

Define for me the simple part about Noah fathering three sons when he was 500 years old, built the worlds largest, longest wooden vessel.....ever.... when he was 600 years old, then lived another 300 years after that.

And furthermore, the simplest explanation is that these old stories, repeated over and over again, for more than 3000 years,, before anyone ever wrote them down, contain the typical "fish stories". Each teller of the story added a few years here and there, until 50 became 500, 60 became 600, 90 became 900. The simplest explanation is that a zero was added after each persons age.

[thesometimesaint]

It is a mistranslation of course. However O has been a honorific for millennia. It just got mistranslated as a 0.

[danielwoods]

The precipitous plunge in life spans after the Flood suggests that something changed at the time of the Flood, or shortly thereafter, that was responsible for this decline. A line graph of this decline reveals an exponential curve (see figure 1). An exponential decay rate is often called a “natural” decay rate because it is so often observed in nature. For example, this is the decay curve we see when living organisms are exposed to lethal doses of toxic substances or radiations. Since it is unlikely that people living in pre-Flood times were familiar with exponential decay curves, it is thus unlikely that these dates were fabricated.

The fossil record reveals that prior to the Flood, most of the earth appears to have had a tropical type of environment. Following the Flood, there was clearly an environmental change resulting in an ice age that covered nearly 30 percent of the earth with ice (primarily in the northern latitudes). This, together with other changes following the Flood, could have adversely affected life spans.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/adam-and-noah-live

http://legacy-cdn-assets.answersingenesis.org/assets/images/articles/nab2/decline-ages-death.gif

Edited March 21, 2014 by danielwoods

[thesometimesaint]

 

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/adam-and-noah-live

http://legacy-cdn-assets.answersingenesis.org/assets/images/articles/nab2/decline-ages-death.gif

 

 

[ERayR]

Adam lived to be 900 years old, Noah was very old and Methusela lived very very long. How come they lived so long back then, but not anymore?

 

Clean air and water.

[danielwoods]

 

I guess your scriptures tell you to laugh at those you disagree with? 

[ERayR]

I guess your scriptures tell you to laugh at those you disagree with? 

 

Not to worry tss is a firm believer in macro-evolution.  It kind of warps his perspective. 

[Nevo]

The big ages are from a different source, with ages actually much shorter than those reported in the Sumerian King Lists!

 

You're not kidding! Methuselah had nothing on these guys.

 

After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years. Alaljar ruled for 36000 years. 2 kings; they ruled for 64800 years. Then Eridug fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira. In Bad-tibira, En-men-lu-ana ruled for 43200 years. En-men-gal-ana ruled for 28800 years. Dumuzid, the shepherd, ruled for 36000 years. 3 kings; they ruled for 108000 years. Then Bad-tibira fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Larag. In Larag, En-sipad-zid-ana ruled for 28800 years. 1 king; he ruled for 28800 years. Then Larag fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Zimbir. In Zimbir, En-men-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21000 years. 1 king; he ruled for 21000 years. Then Zimbir fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Curuppag. In Curuppag, Ubara-Tutu became king; he ruled for 18600 years. 1 king; he ruled for 18600 years. In 5 cities 8 kings; they ruled for 241200 years. Then the flood swept over.

 

http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section2/tr211.htm

[XXMikey007]

They were immortal to start with, this would cause their genetics to be a little different.  I have heard that the long life was a product of their initial immortality, and then over time and generations this was "bred out".  Just my 2 cents.

 

This is the reason I don't believe Jesus Christ had children while on earth.. His immortal DNA would have been passed on.

[thesometimesaint]

I guess your scriptures tell you to laugh at those you disagree with? 

 

I don't disagree with the Scriptures just on some people interpretation of them.

[thesometimesaint]

Not to worry tss is a firm believer in macro-evolution.  It kind of warps his perspective. 

 

It is all evolution.

[LittleNipper]

In II Peter 3:8 God expresses to us that one thousand years is like a day to Him. Adam and Eve both were told that if they ate of the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that they would die in that day... Now, I do believe that very morning that they ate of the Fruit that they became spiritually dead; however, then it took a while for their once perfect bodies to corrupt (God's 1 thousand years perhaps). After the Flood, we find that man's life is greatly shortened according to God's Word. I believe that the reason for this is that now even the environment was blighted and did not promote long life.

 

I also believe that animals lived healthier for much longer. I believe that when a lizard lived one thousand years that he would become rather large. There is no real way to prove or disprove this. However, it seems likely, given God's inspired record, that elephants and tigers and all other animals lived to great ages and continued to change in looks throughout their lifetime. This is likely true for humans as well. And it is possible that Neanderthals were older more aged humans and that we cannot match what we see happening today with what happened prior to the Flood. People who will not accept the Flood must indeed present a different view of the fossil record.

[Ahab]

this topic is funny lol! you all are like children

All of us are children, silly, including you.

And we will always be children of our parents, too.

[Ahab]

Adam lived to be 900 years old, Noah was very old and Methusela lived very very long. How come they lived so long back then, but not anymore?

God shortened our mortal lifespan down to 120 years in the days of Noah.

It says so right there in the Bible.

And you should realize the Earth was a lot different back then than howit is now. No diseases like we have no, and not many if any genetic defects, with our bodies having been perfect and immortal before the fall.

It is said that Jesus would have lived a lot longer than other mortal men in his days, had he not laid down his life when he was crucified, because he was also a direct descendent of our Father, like Adam. I would have liked to have heard about how long he would have lived if he was allowed to go on living in peace.

[Ahab]

Adam lived to be 900 years old, Noah was very old and Methusela lived very very long. How come they lived so long back then, but not anymore?

God shortened our mortal lifespan down to 120 years in the days of Noah.

It says so right there in the Bible.

And you should realize the Earth was a lot different back then than howit is now. No diseases like we have no, and not many if any genetic defects, with our bodies having been perfect and immortal before the fall.

It is said that Jesus would have lived a lot longer than other mortal men in his days, had he not laid down his life when he was crucified, because he was also a direct descendent of our Father, like Adam. I would have liked to have heard about how long he would have lived if he was allowed to go on living in peace.

[Truth 101]

I can't believe people are trying to use science to explain lifespans in the OT.... facepalm

[danielwoods]

I can't believe people are trying to use science to explain lifespans in the OT.... facepalm

 

Science is a methodology accessible to anyone. Why not use it? 

[cinepro]

And you should realize the Earth was a lot different back then than howit is now. No diseases like we have no, and not many if any genetic defects, with our bodies having been perfect and immortal before the fall.

 

Just so we're clear, you're referring to a period of time about ~6,000 years ago, right? 

[Ahab]

Just so we're clear, you're referring to a period of time about ~6,000 years ago, right?

Yeah, about 6 or 7k, since the time of the fall until now, frron just after when the Earth was perfect and we (through Adam and Eve) were immortal.

Yep, a lot has changed since then until now.

[Rob Osborn]

I don't disagree with the Scriptures just on some people interpretation of them.

Just admit for a change that your interpretation of them does not line up with the scriptures nor the churches official doctrine. Could you do that please?

[thesometimesaint]

Science is a methodology accessible to anyone. Why not use it? 

 

That it is.