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Methuselah Lived 969 Years: Experts Debate How That’s Possible
The argument over how they calculated years in ancient times gives insight into Methuselah’s true age.
According to the Hebrew Bible (AKA Old Testament), Methuselah was a patriarch who lived for 969 years, as stated in Genesis 5:27. He is remembered in legend and tradition as the longest-lived human.
Some have interpreted his age as literally 969 solar years, while others suggest it may have been a mistranslation of 969 lunar months or tenths of years, making his age range from approximately 78 to 97 years.
Others believe the story of Methuselah’s long life was a myth used to create a sense of a distant past between Adam and Noah, with various other interpretations also existing.
The book of Genesis does not provide much information about Methuselah, only mentioning his lineage according to Genesis 5. He was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Seth, the child of Adam and Eve, who was born over a century after Cain.
