The oldest person ever: 122, not 120, like the Bible says...

[UniversalAxis]

Jeanne Louise Calment (February 21 1875 - August 4 1997) had the longest (reliably reported) lifespan for any human being in history. Her lifespan has been thoroughly documented by scientific study. She married her second cousin Fernand Calment in 1896, and survived her only child and only grandchild. She died at the age of 122 years 164 days in Arles, France; the same town she was born in. She said that in her younger years, she met Vincent van Gogh, later describing him as "dirty, badly dressed and disagreeable."

I wonder what she thought of Monet.

So, then, if the Bible says that people will only live to be 120, what does the fact that she lived to be older than God told her to mean?

Translation: Genesis is not literal!

 

[danaman5]

One argument that I have seen is that the Bible only says that people would live to be "around" 120 years. However, the Bible does not actually say this.

 

[GoSeminoles!]

If I ever get to 100, shoot me.

 

[Star_Pixels]

Jeanne Louise Calment (February 21 1875 - August 4 1997) had the longest (reliably reported) lifespan for any human being in history. Her lifespan has been thoroughly documented by scientific study. She married her second cousin Fernand Calment in 1896, and survived her only child and only grandchild. She died at the age of 122 years 164 days in Arles, France; the same town she was born in. She said that in her younger years, she met Vincent van Gogh, later describing him as "dirty, badly dressed and disagreeable."

I wonder what she thought of Monet.

So, then, if the Bible says that people will only live to be 120, what does the fact that she lived to be older than God told her to mean?

Translation: Genesis is not literal!

Where does it say that people will only live to be 120? And how is two years outside of margin of error included in many biblical translations?

 

[Mistermystery]

Where does it say that people will only live to be 120? And how is two years outside of margin of error included in many biblical translations?

2 years margin of error. That's like almost as much in % as scientific studies give on various dating techniques. Dum dum dum...

 

[UniversalAxis]

[font=Arial,Helvetica]"My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)

When God gets specific, He means it; or does he? The point is that it says, quite specifically, 120 years; There is no other interpretation available except that the bible is not inerrent/word of God/literal. Personally, I'll take the option that the Bible is not literal over the others. Especialy when it comes to the book of Genesis which was written by Moses almost a millenium after the fact.

If we can't trust observation that means we cant trust our own eyes, which makes me wonder how we can think we are looking upon the Word of God in the Bible.
[/font]

 

[Star_Pixels]

2 years margin of error. That's like almost as much in % as scientific studies give on various dating techniques. Dum dum dum...

Many things, especially when translated from other languages that have words (like *******) with no English equivalant, have a 2 or 3 percent margin of error.

[font=Arial,Helvetica]"My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)[/font]

And I'd have to say that was an estimate. Just like when my mom used to call me up to bring home milk and eggs. "It'll be five dollars, honey" (the milk and eggs were 5.25, BTW).

 

[UniversalAxis]

And I'd have to say that was an estimate. Just like when my mom used to call me up to bring home milk and eggs. "It'll be five dollars, honey" (the milk and eggs were 5.25, BTW).

well, at least you are comparing observed phenomina with the Bible, but I think that God would be a bit more specific; besides, if we are supposed to live for 120 years, why do we always seem to die so much sooner?

 

[Star_Pixels]

well, at least you are comparing observed phenomina with the Bible, but I think that God would be a bit more specific; besides, if we are supposed to live for 120 years, why do we always seem to die so much sooner?

Because that's a majority, maybe? The average woman's life is 80 years, but I know several who have died at 40. What does that mean? Nothing. Just that some women are healthier than others.

Also, there are several things you have to take into consideration. I know several teens who died in car accidents. That doesn't mean they WOULDN'T have lived to be 120 years old, that just means they DIDN'T because they were been foolish during a dangerous precedure.


And you may be right. I'm just saying that unless you're actually reading a Greek or Latin translation (maybe even Hebrew), you're not going to get an accurate translation. Every bible says something different.

 

[UniversalAxis]

Because that's a majority, maybe? The average woman's life is 80 years, but I know several who have died at 40. What does that mean? Nothing. Just that some women are healthier than others.

Also, there are several things you have to take into consideration. I know several teens who died in car accidents. That doesn't mean they WOULDN'T have lived to be 120 years old, that just means they DIDN'T because they were been foolish during a dangerous precedure.

And you may be right. I'm just saying that unless you're actually reading a Greek or Latin translation (maybe even Hebrew), you're not going to get an accurate translation. Every bible says something different.

I haven't read the greek nor the hebrew, nor do I know either language. I do know some Latin, but, since the Book of Genesis was part of the Torah, one can assume it was written in Hebrew.

You could be right: It might be different in the original text. I would like to say, though, that many biblical literalists would say:
1-The Bible is immune from mistranslation since it is the Word of God.
2-The Bible is literal in my language

It is also the case that this number has remained constant through every translation of the Bible that I have ever seen, and I have seen about a dozen. To be literal: 120 years from the mouth of God = 120 years; no more, no less.

The real question is how literal is Genesis. It was written, by its own accounts, about a thousand years after the fact. People of Genesis lived to be +-900 years old. Great floods swallowed the Earth. Knowledge came from the fruit of trees, and snakes could talk. If everything else about Genesis were verified except ONE of these, it might be literal; but all of them stand as a bastion against logic, observation, and evidence. Genesis is a Creation MYTH. That is my point.

 

[ruby_redeemed]

Actually the Bible talks about people being much much older then 120, You should read the old testament.

 

[Tenacious-D]

Actually the Bible talks about people being much much older then 120, You should read the old testament.

Yes, but that's myth, like talking snakes.

 

[Athanasian Creed]

Another futile effort by non-believers to discredit God and His Word. If you were to continue reading further in Genesis 6 you would see that God was referring to the time frame of when He would destroy mankind via the flood.

The time from when God called Noah to build the ark to the flood was 120 years. For 120 years, Noah did not cease to warn the wicked both by word and deed, of the wrath of God hanging over their heads. It also points out the patience/mercy of God who gave those who perished in the flood AMPLE time to repent.


Ray

 

[ruby_redeemed]

Yes, but that's myth, like talking snakes.

If you think the Bible is full of Myths then why do you care if it says anything at all, especially something like the oldest person?

 

[TheUndeadFish]

Another futile effort by non-believers to discredit God and His Word

Perhaps, but don't pin this solely on the so-called non-believers. Several times on this forum I've seen Christians (specifically YECs as I recall) claiming this 120-year-lifespan thing is big evidence that the Bible is all correct and literal. The original post here was as much a response to them as anything else.

 

[Star_Pixels]

I'm quite fascinated with the discoveries you'd find in threads like these, if you don't close up your mind. I mean, think about it, this thread itself opens up several theological thoughts.

Is the bible accurate? Is the English bible tampered with? Did God make estimates? Is your faith based off the infallibility of the bible? Is this a way to prove the bible's in/accuracy? What else is an estimation?

 

[Deamiter]

Closed for cleaning

 

[Deamiter]

You will not turn this debate into a simple Christian vs. atheist argument. Aside from it being unfair (as anti-Christian arguments are very quickly removed from the boards) it also violates one of the basic rules at CF (1.4 and 1.5) [noflame]

Using the Bible to support your arguments is absolutely fine. Claiming that evolution is a conspiracy propogated by atheists to destroy God will not be tolerated. I hope that clears up some misunderstanding we've had recently.

Carry on.

 

[Deamiter]

To clarify (as some html error is keeping me from editing the above post) There are many Christians who adhere to evolution on this board and elsewhere. I wasn't trying to imply that calling an atheist a non-Christian is against the rules (though taken literally it probably would be, that would just be sad.)

 

[FieryBalrog]

Many things, especially when translated from other languages that have words (like *******) with no English equivalant, have a 2 or 3 percent margin of error.


And I'd have to say that was an estimate. Just like when my mom used to call me up to bring home milk and eggs. "It'll be five dollars, honey" (the milk and eggs were 5.25, BTW).

Is your Mom God? Then we can move on with the analogy.


The point is, when one day we live to be 200 years, they will come up with a new interpretation that is flexible enough to mean anything and nothing. 120 years then = anything.