Before the Flood, lifetimes were long. After the flood they evolved into shorter and shorter periods. Why?

Question

Pre-Flood Numbers = age)
Adam..................930
Seth..................912
Enos..................905
Kenan.................910
Mahaleel..............895
Jared.................862
Methuselah............969
Lamech................777
Noah..................950
Post-Flood
Shem..................602
Arphaxad..............438
Salah.................433
Eber..................464
Peleg.................239
Reu...................239
Serug.................230
Nahor.................148
Terah.................205
Abraham...............175
Isaac.................180
Jacob.................147
Job...................140
Levi..................137
Kohath................133
Amaram................137
Moses.................120
Joshua................110
Eli....................98
David..................70

Please try to give an answer without the usual God cliche.

Though there are some good answers, many ignore the exact question. The question is before and after the flood.
Before the flood the overall varience was about 1% overall, after the flood it jumps to about 5% per generation.

To those who take water above the Vault of the heavens and stars out of context..........shame on you. (OSB)

Answer 1

Well from what I understand, people lived long back then because they needed to populate the earth with many children. As the world got fuller and fuller, there was no need for people to live that long anymore.

However, it makes no sense since everything was destroyed and people had to repoulate again.

Then again, some people think that the world was not flooded, but only a portion of it.

Answer 2

Even after sin entered into the world mankind was still closer to the perfection that was had by Adam and Eve. With each successive generation, sin's effects became more evident, for example, shorter and shorter life spans. The Bible itself states what is true today: Although some humans may live a long life, basically the lifespan is 70-80 years for modern day humans(Psalms 90:10)

Answer 3

Genesis 1:6-7 mentions “waters above,” a “canopy” of water that surrounded the earth. Such a “water canopy” would have created a “greenhouse effect” on the entire earth, and would have blocked much of the radiation that now hits the earth. This would have resulted in ideal living conditions on the earth. This seems especially so considering how quickly the lifespans began to shrink after the Flood. Genesis 7:11 likely indicates that, in the Flood, the “water canopy” was poured out on the earth, ending the ideal living conditions. Compare the ages before the Flood (Genesis 5:1-32) with the ages after the Flood (Genesis 11:10-32). Immediately have the Flood, the ages decreased dramatically.

Answer 4

Try this out.

In Genesis we are told that there were waters all over the earth and there were waters above the earth.
The space between the 2 waters was called heaven.
(Other scriptures mention that the birds fly in mid-heaven) Sky?

Okay then the water receded (evaporated? - settling of the oceans?) and the land masses began to appear.
Animals and then man were created. Stay with me here.

So the earth was shrouded by this water/water-vapor canopy.
Research Thermosphere. This would be the main source of water during the great deluge of Noah's day.

Now, look at your figures and plot then graphically and see that the ages diminished rapidly after Noah.

The canopy had collapsed, exposing man to the direct rays of the sun and whatever other rays that previously were filtered by the thick water layer. Add to that the general deterioration of man due to being shall we say sinful? and we finally settle out on a life span around 80 years give or take depending on which HMO you belong to.

Help or confuse?

Answer 5

Well, scripturally, before the Flood, the earth was watered by a "mist." The atmosphere was therefore different, and may have filtered out a lot of the radiation and so forth that is responsible for aging. It would explain why the longevity numbers started dropping immediately post-deluge.

I don't know what you mean about the "God cliche'" but you're asking a biblical question, so I hope you don't mean to disregard answers involving God; that would be a little silly. But God did decree that the span of a man's life would be about 70 years in Genesis.

Answer 6

Before the flood, it never rained. There was a canopy affect that covered the earth and probably protected the earth from the harmful radiation rays of the sun. Then with the rains of the flood, the canopy ceased to exist. There was not all the pollution, etc. They were to populate the earth also back then.

Answer 7

Basically, it takes 10 generations for a genetic defect to become permanent into DNA (meaning a new permanent thing such as Down's Syndrome, etc.) So, lifespan is also affected along with ability to heal, sight, length of pregnancy, etc. The lifespan from Perfection (that of 930) to the 10th generation of Noah (950 - then again, he had a job to do), then to Abraham whose own life was only 175.

Its also reported that the Oxygen and atmospheric content were BOTH much higher, both helping to heal faster and live longer, letting down hardly ANY cancer causing rays!

Answer 8

God made this decree before the flood...Genesis 6:3. Then the Lord said"My spirit will not contend with man forever,for he is mortal.his days will be hundred and twenty years.

the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become.and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time...this grieved God! And his heart was filled with pain!

Answer 9

Hey Terry, I have debated this same question with some friends of mine and the best theory we could come up with is this --> Remember that God originally created Adam and Eve, and we felt that since God himself breathed life into them the "lifeforce" in them was very strong...... but as succeeding generations got further away from the original lifeforce, the longevity diminished. Also we speculated that it could also be a result of the fall of man... or a mix of both.. hope this helps...

Answer 10

I guess maybe its had to do with the food.
Maybe before the flood there are plants who has powerful antioxidants, anti-cancer properties that prolong human lives, which are extinct today.
Another guess is radiation level of the sun and its effect in our DNA and cells. Sun and food has a very significant effect in ageing of our body.