Our minds like to approach such historical texts as how we approach the history books from our education system. However, they were not written in the same way nor were they intended to be taken as literal history. Noah lived 950 years and is only outlived by Jared who lived 962 years. "Adam would still have been alive during the lifetime of Noah's father Lamech," states biblical scholar Michael Coogan, "and Noah would still have been alive when Abraham was born." If not literally, then why?
The number of years often have significance such as Enoch who lived 365 years, the same as the number of days in a year or Lamech who lived to be 777, symbolic of retribution to be given as one of Cain's descendants. Pay attention to the specific number and there is usually a reason it is assigned.
We also note that gradually, people start to live normal lifespans. The chart above shows a gradual decrease over time and a drastic decrease after the flood. Long life was associated with divine favor and the decrease in lifespans indicated a decrease in divine favor. While this might not be literal, it indicates a growing decrease in favor from God over time to the point of necessary redemption from God. God's promise through the covenant continues and humankind, as we do, wrestles with our ability to follow such a covenant exactly. We are humans and we fall away from our promises to God, but we return!
Compared to other narratives at the time, our biblical characters actually lived a shorter period of time. King Alulim of Eridu reigned for 28,800 years and other kings reigned for 64,800 years. Still other kings are written to have reigned for more than 385,000 years! Look at the epic of Gilgamesh which occurred during much of our biblical times and he reigned as king for 126 years. These Sumerian texts seem to exaggerate lifespan much more than our Hebrew texts.
By the first millennium BCE, our lifespans became more normal. This is closer to the time when God became incarnate for the redemption of the earth. A flood destroyed the peoples of the earth and now God came down to redeem all the peoples in heaven and on earth. The theology describes a decreasing ability to stay within our covenant until the redemption through the power of God in Christ with the New Covenant.
As we grow older, we certainly comprehend that time is relative. It tends to speed up on us! How might we use our lifespan to glorify God in the knowledge that we are offered hope through a God who became incarnate and died after only 33 years. Perhaps we interpret not length but in how we build our relationship with the God who created us and who offers a promise of love, more than divine favor, but an open invitation to an eternal relationship. And, how do we share each day to the Glory of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
- Much of the research from this post is from Michael D. Coogan's book, The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. If you are reading from the Oxford Annotated Bible, he is one of the primary contributors.