Maybe Methuselah was not so old afterall

Author: Nevets

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Nevets
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Methuselah

What is one of the biggest arguments "against" the historicity of biblical characters? Well of course, it is their unbelievable longevity.
Take Methuselah as an example, he is said to be the bibles longest living human at an incredible and unbelievable 969 years.

Methuselah (US: /məˈθuːzˌlɑː/) (Hebrew: מְתוּשֶׁלַח‎ Məṯūšélaḥ, in pausa מְתוּשָׁלַח‎ Məṯūšā́laḥ, "Man of the javelin" or "Death of Sword";[1] Greek: Μαθουσάλας Mathousalas)[2] was a biblical patriarch and a figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Having died at the age of 969, he lived the longest of all human figures mentioned in the Bible.[3] 
Enmebaragesi

However, we have a king on the Sumerian king list named Enmebaragesi whom is credited with having reigned in Sumeria for 900 years and until recently was thought to be a mythological figure. However recent archaeological excavations have found Enmebaragesi a place in the history books afterall.

Enmebaragesi (Sumerian:𒂗𒈨𒁈𒄄𒋛)[3] originally Mebarasi (Sumerian:𒈨𒁈𒋛)[1] was the penultimate king of the first dynasty of Kish and is recorded as having reigned 900 years in the Sumerian King List. Like his son and successor Aga he reigned during a period when Kish had hegemony over Sumer.a[4] Enmebaragesi signals a momentous documentary leap from mytho-history to history, since he is the earliest ruler on the king list whose name is attested directly from archaeology.
Cattle count

Now even though Enmebaragesi is now believed to have historicity, we still have the problem of this 900 year reign. Obviously we do not believe he reigned for 900 years.
My initial theory was that the 900 years represented tax years, and not calendar years, as the ancients used to operate a tax system called the cattle count which did not operate around the current annual year system. However I have kind of ditched this theory, because for Enmebaragesi to have reigned for a total of 900 cattle counts would have meant his administration was a very greedy administration indeed, and his people must have been extremely poor having to keep up with all those cattle counts.

In ancient Egypt, the cattle count was one of the two main means of evaluating the amount of taxes to be levied, the other one being the height of the annual inundation. A very important economic event, the cattle count was controlled by high officials, and was connected to several cultic feasts. In addition it served as a means of dating other events, with the entire year when it occurred being called "year of the Xth cattle count under the person of the king Y". The frequency of cattle counts varied through the history of ancient Egypt; in the Old Kingdom it was most likely biennial, i.e. occurring every two years, and became more frequent subsequently.
Ziusudra

A better explanation might come from Ziusudra, whom is a Sumerian king that is also being thought of as less and less mythological and more and more historical with archaeological excavation. Apparently Ziusudra is credited with a reign of 3,600 years. It has been suggested though, that this is a copyist error with 10 sars being (which equals 3,600 years) mistakenly used instead of 10 years. Therefore archaeologists would be of the belief that Ziusudra reigned for 10 years, not 10 sars.

 He is recorded as having reigned as both king and gudug priest for ten sars (periods of 3,600 years),[3] although this figure is probably a copyist error for ten years.[4] 
Conclusion

So do we now have to review the actual ages of those mythological and biblical figures? They may not be that old afterall.
#2
fauxlaw
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@Nevets
On the other hand, early in human history, perhaps we did not have all the social, political, economic, religious, medical, and just plain stupidity issues that we humans now burden ourselves with to shorten our lifespan. We don't even need to leave the man-cave anymore and we encounter life-shortening toxins. I'm suspicious that their DNA, then, was more robust than it is, now. Medical science has observed that there is no real identifiable reason why, at cellular level, cells die, given a proper diet from which to draw the proper nutrients to sustain life. No reason other than one:  After all, we are what we put in the pie hole. Problem is, perhaps it was never meant to eat pie rather than just eat the apple to satisfy the sweet tooth. Not to mention historically absent food sources: Fast food. Processed food. Chemically preserved food. What ever happened to fresh food? By the way, that's virtually all located at the outer perimeter of virtually every supermarket, the stuff that was all there was in old grocery stores that were smaller than today's barber shop. I remember them. 

Perhaps, at >70 years of age, my doctor declares I have the heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, etc, of a 20-year-old, and they all operate at a higher efficiency than he usually sees. I am an ideal organ donor. Because I'm careful what goes into my apple hole.
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Nevets
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@fauxlaw
This may be compatible with your theory, but not with the theory I proposed in the opening post.

Eridu

The problem is Eridu. Eridu was once also thought to be a mythological location. But Eridu has been found. However archaeologists claim that the location dates to no further back than 5,400bc.

Eridu appears to be the earliest settlement in the region, founded c. 5400 BC, close to the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Euphrates River. Because of accumulation of silt at the shoreline over the millennia, the remains of Eridu are now some distance from the gulf at Abu Shahrain in Iraq.
Myth and Legend

But Eridu only dating back to 5,400bc is not consistent with the Sumerian stories of kings from Eridu, such as Alalnger, reigning for 36,000 years.

In Eridu, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years. Alalngar ruled for 36000 years. 2 kings; they ruled for 64800 years. Then Eridu fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira.
Conclusion

Therefore, at the same time as proposing that mythological and biblical figures may have certain historicity, I am trying to remain consistent with current scientific and archaeological understanding. So I propose that it is in fact most likely the mathematics that require scrutinising.

However I totally respect your opinion and belief, and if you can support it further with evidence, no matter how anecdotal, please feel free to do so.
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Notwithstanding exaggeration.

Moon cycles is probably best bet.....Especially before the movements of the Earth relative to the Sun became an accepted fact.

That would put old Thusey in his seventies.....Probably a ripe old age for the time.
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@fauxlaw
 Because I'm careful what goes into my apple hole.
You are talking about the Apple gay dating App, HOLE, right? They say, Open HOLE and you are one tap away from finding a partner. After you publish your request, the app will show people near you wishing to hook up right now. When you like someone who likes you back, the app gives you one hour to get to know each other and decide where to meet. Quick and simple.
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@FLRW


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FLRW,

In your post #5 above, are you stating that FAUXLAW slipped on his Freudian again?  I noticed this seemingly truthful situation in my post below:

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@Nevets


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Nevets,

Relative to your extreme ages of Biblical characters, how do pseudo-christians deal with the blatant contradiction in what is shown within this passage stated by Moses: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10)."

“EVERY word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.“ (Proverbs 30:5). Therefore Moses stating the above Biblical axiom blatantly contradicts your treatise upon Bible characters living in the numbers you represented, now what?  

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@zedvictor4
zedvictor4 wrote...
Notwithstanding exaggeration.

Moon cycles is probably best bet.....Especially before the movements of the Earth relative to the Sun became an accepted fact.

That would put old Thusey in his seventies.....Probably a ripe old age for the time.
That is actually not a bad theory.
12 x 78 = 936.
We currently live on average the exact same number of months that biblical figures used to live years.

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BrotherDThomas wrote...

Nevets,

Relative to your extreme ages of Biblical characters, how do pseudo-christians deal with the blatant contradiction in what is shown within this passage stated by Moses: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10)."

“EVERY word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.“ (Proverbs 30:5). Therefore Moses stating the above Biblical axiom blatantly contradicts your treatise upon Bible characters living in the numbers you represented, now what?  
You ask good questions Bruv 👍
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@Nevets

--> @zedvictor4
zedvictor4 wrote...
Notwithstanding exaggeration.

Moon cycles is probably best bet.....Especially before the movements of the Earth relative to the Sun became an accepted fact.

That would put old Thusey in his seventies.....Probably a ripe old age for the time.
That is actually not a bad theory.
12 x 78 = 936.
We currently live on average the exact same number of months that biblical figures used to live years.
This is the explanation I was taught.  Some Greek transcription mistook moon cycles for solar cycles.

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You are talking about the Apple gay dating App, HOLE, right?
No. Not even aware of it. I'm changing to pie hole to an apple hole. Come on, you know that.
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Yes, I know that, I was just kidding around.
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OK. Thanks.
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@FLRW

FLRW, 

I wasn't kidding around with my post #7 relative to the link within regarding FAUXLAW and his "Greek Association!"  

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Nevets,

Relative to your extreme ages of Biblical characters, how do pseudo-christians deal with the blatant contradiction in what is shown within this passage stated by Moses: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10)."

“EVERY word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.“ (Proverbs 30:5). Therefore Moses stating the above Biblical axiom blatantly contradicts your treatise upon Bible characters living in the numbers you represented, now what?  

Interesting stuff, that is Brother, when we also take into account the "god"cut the years of man down to 120 years. GENESIS 6:3  . It has to be asked from what number did "god" cut the years of man down from?

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@Nevets


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Stephen,

Regarding my post #7 in showing yet another blatant contradiction as to the ages of Biblical characters shown below, where Moses states with specificity that one lives no more than 70 years, and where if it is 80 years, it is really pushing it, then it is told in Deuteronomy 34:7 that Moses lived 120 years!  One has to wonder in did my serial killer Jesus, as Yahweh God incarnate, give Moses some preferential treatment over others?


I think that the only member that can solve this problem is FAUXLAW by using his alleged understanding of the Greek language translations to spin doctor this anomaly away in some form, don't you agree?  

Let's see if FAUXLAW comes forth to help us out in this situation, we'll await!

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@BrotherDThomas
I think that the only member that can solve this problem is FAUXLAW by using his alleged understanding of the Greek language translations to spin doctor this anomaly away in some form, don't you agree?  

Let's see if FAUXLAW comes forth to help us out in this situation, we'll await!
I am still waiting for a Greek translation on this thread and others, Brother  >> #32


The whole forum knows his track record for showing us his knowledge of the ancient Greek language is  NIL, Brother.  Ever since the day he told us all the he was  "a student in ancient Greek"#28 he has never taken up the opportunity to demonstrate the  meaning of even simple words such as " secret" that,  according to him, secret in English doesn't mean the same in ancient Greek but when ask to translate and define its meaning in Greek he then immediately fails to explain what is does mean and simply runs away.


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@Stephen


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Stephen,

YOUR QUOTE RELATIVE TO THE ALLEGED GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOLAR FAUXLAW: " ..... he has never taken up the opportunity to demonstrate the  meaning of even simple words such as " secret" that,  according to him, secret in English doesn't mean the same in ancient Greek but when ask to translate and define its meaning in Greek he then immediately fails to explain what is does mean and simply runs away.

The term you used regarding the Bible fool FAUXLAW in that he "simply runs away" from meaningful posts to him, has also been shown by me in his running away modus operandi in the embarrassing for him following 2 links: 

We have continually asked FAUXLAW to give us his version of what really happened in particular Bible narratives using his expertise of Greek translations, in essentially stating that what we see literally is really not what we see truthfully subsequent to it being  translated into the Greek language by him!  

You would think by now that FAUXLAW would come forth with his enlightenment of Greek translations for the membership to LITERALLY CHANGE Jesus' inspired words within the scriptures that they have accepted for 2000 years plus, and address the ramifications thereof when doing so!  But, where is FAUXLAW? ***Poof,*** he remains in hiding. :(

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@Nevets
In the end game, however, what does it matter, now, if Methuselah was 900 years old, or 90? As you say, the math can, and does slip. But then, I don't buy the 6-day creation as a finite period of activity [or that God retired and went fishing thereafter], nor the 6,000 year existence of earth since creation. The Bible chronology we "have" that would suggest either as fact is strained considering we don't have an original document of the record, so who knows what purposeful and accidental changes have been made to result in the record we do have? As I've said many times; we should go to the Source [since he isn't fishing]. The only problem is, he may think our need to know is only minimally important to us, now. "No," is a likely response, because the knowledge may not contribute to our purpose. We'd be like a child asking a parent, "Why is water wet?" [We happen to know the answer, and even how many molecules of H2O are required to achieve wetness, because one molecule, alone, is not wet], but, what does that knowledge contribute to the knowledge we must know in order to advance our status in God's eyes? I want to know if a cheetah ever trips, running at full speed, but that's knowledge I don't require. Soon enough, I'll know, and I may not even have to ask God.