Who was the oldest man in the Bible? What was the average life span of people in the Bible?

“Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.” Genesis 5:27

Yes! The oldest man in the Bible lived nearly to the ripe old age of nearly 1,000. However, Methuselah was not the only man to live an extraordinarily long life. According to Genesis 5, many of the early patriarchs lived for hundreds of years, and had children and grandchildren who lived with them. Believe it or not, ancient secular records (such as the Sumerian King List) give similar accounts of men living centuries longer than we do today.

The Great Flood recorded in Genesis 7-8 serves as the watershed for the age to which man lives. The average age of the patriarchs (recorded in Genesis five) who from creation to the flood (approximately 1,000 years) was 912. Nevertheless, it only took 1,000 years after the flood for the life span of man to decline from Noah who lived to 950 (Genesis 9:29) to Abraham who died at 175 (Genesis 25:7). (Moses was considered old at the time of his death at 120 years - see Psalm 90:10). In fact the average life expectancy is only 70-80 years old.

There are many reasons why the life span has declined since creation: environmental changes after the flood, family genetics and mutations. However it was never God’s design for mankind to die. We were created in His image, without sin, and with the ability to live forever. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would die (Genesis 2:16-17). They did not heed His Word and took and ate; consequently death entered the world and has plagued man since (Romans 5:17-19). God solved the problem of aging and death “through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” II Timothy 1:10.

For further study please consult The New Answers Book 2 published by Answers in Genesis, or visit them at www.answersingenesis.org.