The desire for a long life is deeply rooted in human history. Across cultures, people have hoped to live for centuries, if not forever. These hopes go back to ancient times. It is worth asking whether the stories and myths of long-lived individuals reflect something real.
Dreams of longevity
In 2020, the average life expectancy for men in Poland was 72.6 years, and for women, 80.7 years. In 2019, before the pandemic, it had been 74.1 and 81.8 years, respectively. This represented an average increase of 18 years for men and 20 years for women compared to the mid-20th century.1 Much of this improvement is due to medical advances, particularly the elimination of many diseases, especially those affecting children.2
Meanwhile, many people still dream of living much longer, or even forever. These hopes are gaining traction. Scientists today are examining the factors that influence lifespan and are even working towards a possible ‘cure’ for ageing. Some futurists believe genetic engineering could eventually make such dreams a reality.
Ancient lifespans
Stories of exceptional lifespans have been recorded since ancient times. One of the earliest sources is the biblical Book of Genesis. It states that Adam, the first man, lived to be 930 years of age, and Noah, who survived the flood, lived to be 950. The longest lifespan mentioned is that of Methuselah, who is said to have lived to be 969. After the flood, human lifespans began to decline. Abraham lived to be 175, while Moses reached the age of 120.
The Bible is not the only source that speaks of such extraordinary lifespans. The Sumerian King List records the rulers of Sumer along with the lengths of their reigns. According to the list, the first eight kings, who lived before the flood, are said to have ruled for tens of thousands of years. Manetho, an ancient historian, claimed that Egypt’s first king was the god Hephaestus (identified by Herodotus as the god Ptah), who ruled for either 727 or even 9,000 years.3 Chinese myths refer to the Three Sovereigns, who were believed to have ruled for tens of thousands of years. Although these accounts differ significantly from those in the Bible, they seem to draw on similar historical experiences.
Ancient sources also mention individuals said to have lived unusually long lives. Pliny the Elder wrote about people who lived beyond 100 years, with some reportedly reaching 140, according to a census in 74 AD.4 The sixth legendary emperor of Japan, Kōan, was said to have lived for 137 years, covering the entire 4th century BC.
Longevity and Earth sciences
It seems highly unlikely that humans ever lived beyond 120 years, let alone several hundred. Evolutionary science holds that for tens of thousands of years, the average human lifespan was very short, often below 30 years.5 It began to rise gradually, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, with improvements in living conditions and medicine. Still, is this truly the case?
The fossil record shows that much of the Earth’s surface once had a tropical climate. Creation science argues that the flood brought about a drastic change in climate, first causing an ice age before conditions eventually stabilised. Organisms that lived before the flood were often much larger than those found today.
This suggests that conditions on Earth before the flood were more favourable to health, allowing humans to live longer. One reason was the diet given to the first people, though this does not mean it was always followed everywhere.6 Another was that the conditions at the time did not support the development or build-up of genetic mutations.
The loss of longevity?
All known mutations result in a loss of genetic information, and those from earlier generations accumulate in subsequent ones. D. Catchpoole noted that this accumulation occurs so rapidly that some scientists question how humanity could have existed for over 100,000 years. T. G. Standish reached similar conclusions, arguing that the evidence aligns more closely with the biblical model.
Moreover, the flood resulted in a kind of genetic bottleneck.7 The ark carried only eight people: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and the sons’ wives. Post-flood humanity descended from them. The change in climate and the build-up of harmful mutations led to a decline in human life expectancy.
The chance for eternity
Still, longevity may now be within reach. Although our lives today are relatively short and each of us faces death, the Bible says that God has set eternity in our hearts.8 God created us for life without end, and only through Jesus Christ can we be certain that humanity will receive the eternal life it seeks.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- The Impact of Nature on Mental Health
- Environmental Protection: A Biblical Perspective
- The Evolutionary Roots of Racism
- The Origin of Music and Singing
- Science vs. Religion: Which Side Holds the Truth?
Footnotes
- The average life expectancy of Poles declined due to the epidemic. These provinces were affected the most. Money.pl, 26, July 2021. Available at: https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/przez-epidemie-spadla-srednia-dlugosc-zycia-polakow-w-tych-wojewodztwach-najbardziej-6665451230976800a.html.
- In the early twentieth century, child mortality was high, drastically lowering the average human lifespan for most of history; wars also contributed to reducing life expectancy.
- Manetho, 1940, The Fragments of Manetho. Available at: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Manetho/History_of_Egypt/1*.html#Fragment_3.
- Sherwin-White, A. M., 1969, Pliny: The Man and His Letters, Greece and Rome, pp. 76–90.
- Some believe that in prehistoric times (and even much later) the average adult lifespan was indeed this short; however, see note 2.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 1:29.
- Purdom, G. and Menton, D., 2008, Ancient Biblical Lifespans: Did Adam Live Over 900 Years?, in The New Answers Book 2. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/genealogy/did-adam-and-noah-really-live-over-900-years/.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Ecclesiastes 3:10–11.
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