St. Thomas

Question: : Father, why did people, like Noah and Moses, live so much longer in biblical times?
Answer:   Well, that is an interesting question. The simple answer is that I don’t know! Genesis does tell us that during primeval history, the ancient ancestors lived very long lives. Adam lived 930 years; Noah lived 950 years; Methuselah lived 969 years! Even in the age of the patriarchs, Abraham was 175, Isaac was 180, and Jacob was 147. And we are told Moses lived 120 years. Are these literal ages or not? Some explain that they took lunar months and may have written years instead. That means Adam was about 75 years old. That sound like a more reasonable age, but it also means some of the ancients sired children when they are 3 to 5 years old! That wasn’t happening. Some say that the ancients actually lived much longer. Since they lived closer to God, then they had more life within them. Others point out that they had so much more work to do when there were so few people, so God allowed them to live longer. With more people in the world today, we don’t have to live as long to get as much done. They are all interesting ideas, but none of them agree. All I can tell you is that most cultures tell stories of ancient ancestors who lived great lifespans. This mythological pattern is supposed to make us take their stories more seriously. Their longevity gives weight to the events of their lives and their importance to us. So, did the ancients live that long? Probably not, but we’ll never know. I will simply say I can’t explain this one since no scholars come close to agreeing about it.