How did people live to be extremely old in the Bible?

Question

and why did people's life expectancy decrease dramatically by the time of Jesus?

Answer 1

Fictionally.

Answer 2

The concept of 'time' in relation to the Bible is very skewed. This can be used as an argument for both sides actually, it often is. But simple mis-translation of things such as 'day' or 'year' to what they were actually meant to be 'eon' or 'age' in some respects. An age is approximately 2150 years by the way. So a lot of measurements of time just don't translate to our way of thinking. And during some translations old ways of thinking about time were misunderstood.

That is 1 reason, the other was that often stories were told verbally for sometimes 500 years. And facts get mistold. People's lives get merged into 1 person and numbers lose all meaning.

It has nothing to do with 'environmental phenomenon' like people above stated, some quite preposterous. It is simple human error and misunderstanding. I really didn't expect those sort of anwers, wow. The development of the calendar is a fairly new thing, and was debated and theorized forever before the one we now have. There are a lot of variables involved, they had nothing to do with any freak greenhouse effect or purification, or what have you.

Answer 3

One theory is that there was a canopy, like an extra layer in the atmosphere. What it did was block out the sun's harmful rays - ultraviolet light is named by some who believe this.

One example of this is:
The reason why Noah got drunk after the flood is because the juice he made from grapes fermented quicker than it used to. He wasn't expecting that change, and so was intoxicated.

So the life expectancy changed as well. People living in the time before 'the firmament above' broke didn't have the suns harmful rays aging them as it does now.

Quite interestingly, this is supposed to happen again. Isaiah wrote about a time that hasn't happened yet which explains this:

Isaiah 65
20 "Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed."

So there will be a time, I think it's in the Millennium, when this 'canopy' returns, and that will happen after the Great Tribulation.

Answer 4

When the term “generation” is used with reference to the people living at a particular time, the exact length of that time cannot be stated, except that the time would fall within reasonable limits. These limits would be determined by the life span of the people of that time or of that population. The life span of the ten generations from Adam to Noah averaged more than 850 years each. (Ge 5:5-31; 9:29) But after Noah, man’s life span dropped off sharply. Abraham, for example, lived only 175 years. (Ge 25:7) Today, much as it was in the time of Moses, people living under favorable conditions may reach 70 or 80 years of age. Moses wrote: “In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things; for it must quickly pass by, and away we fly.” (Ps 90:10) Some few may live longer, but Moses stated the general rule. Moses himself, who lived 120 years, was an exception, as were his brother Aaron (123 years), Joshua (110 years), and some others whose strength and vitality were unusual.—De 34:7; Nu 33:39; Jos 24:29.

Answer 5

It had to do with the Earth before the Flood. There was a canopy of water vapor around the earth to protect all living things from the damaging rays of the sun. The oxygen concentration was far greater then as well, allowing for longevity. Why do you think people like to get into hyperberic chambers ?! For their health, they want to live longer!

However, there was also not the health issues to deal with that we have today. Many many things worked together to give mankind their long long life spans.

After the flood, all bets were off. man would no longer live such a long time.... if you remember Jesus went about healing many during his 3 year ministry. Diseases had taken their toll on humanity by the first century.

Answer 6

It's thought that it could 1 or both of 2 things:
1. They counted days differently. If Jesus died Friday night and got up Sunday Morning, the only explanation of "3 days" is if they counted 12 hour intervals as a single day
2. Before the Great Flood (mentioned in nearly every ancient Religion), it is considered that the atmosphere was mostly water, blocking harmful rays of the sun and, hence, no rain.

Answer 7

Ronnie and the ones mentioning the pre-flood water canopy over the earth have it probably correct. Certainly not those claiming the dates are false or not counted properly.

The earth revolves and spins the same way now as then. Otherwise, all life would cease. So years are largely the same although calenders have changed, but not enough to matter.

We must keep in mind healthier genetics as well as lifestyle improve one's lifespan more than anything else. They were closer to perfection and worked hard manual labor in a mostly clean environment.

Answer 8

The were genetically pure and God allowed it in an effort to people the earth as quickly as possible in the start of the earth. Later in life he slowed the process down and declared that man shall not live longer than 6 score, 120 years, and we haven't. For awhile the average age at death dipped way down because medications were not available.

Our bodies are new every 7 years, I understand every cell is replaced. It stays pretty good to about age 35 or 40, then the cells replace themselves in the beginning of a downhill cycle. It gets pretty rapid in most people at around 80 or so. You can see a substantial difference in a person in just a few years, which wasn't tree in the 40's and 50's

Answer 9

At first they were in better shape, and they probably ate better. There was lots of fruit trees and nut trees and stuff like that. Lots of wild vegetables. Then people made grain and bread and rolls and stuff which are more fattening.
and oil which has a lot of calories.
There was a lot of thick dust clouds that kept out the suns rays so they didn't get to have gamma rays. the land was in better shape. They didn't eat as much meat maybe.

Answer 10

They used a different calendar, and the year was not the same as it is now. It was shorter than the 365 days that we've relied on for about 2000 years.

ETA: Atom74 gave a great answer. That's the most likely reason. My answer is just more condensed.

Answer 11

It decreased drastically after the flood. Creationists for the most part believe that the world was like a giant greenhouse prior to the flood surounded by a giant canopy of water or ice. It made the world's enviroment extremely healthy and allowed for long ages. At the flood that is where the water came from for the flood and once the canopy ceased to exist disease was able to develop and the age of creatures dropped drastically.