Are the ages accurate?

edited September 2006 in Faith Issues
in th old testament?

Comments

  • God decides when the time for you to pass away is, and I believe that God may give someone a long life because I feel that he wants them to stay longer because the may make a difference in someone, it wasn't determined by eating how many fruits or veggies you eat, no of course not!

    Forever,
    Coptic Servent
  • i think u should listen 2 wat sayedna said
    he knows better ;)
  • I don't know about the first question...but the second question, yes I actually heard from my abouna that this is one reason they use to live longer until Noah and after the flood, people started eating meat and from that time, we see their age begin to decline. So being a vegetrian is actually healthier.
  • The Vela supernova (a massive stellar explosion that occurred early in the human era) has been identified as the possible culprit. It seems this event may be at least partly responsible for the cosmic radiation that keeps people from living longer than 120 years or so. In recent months, however, a new and much more likely suspect has been identified.

    First, some background. Deadly, cancer-causing (life-shortening) radiation comes from two main sources: 1) the decay of radioactive materials in Earth’s crust, and 2) massive stellar explosions (supernovae) within the Milky Way Galaxy. Cosmic radiation from supernovae (and their remnants) showers the Earth all the time. Most of that radiation is benign and fairly constant, just electrons and protons moving at less-than-dangerous velocities. But some—such as the electron-stripped atoms of oxygen and iron moving at hyper-fast velocities—can do major damage to living things.

    Since 1996 Anatoly Erlykin and Arnold Wolfendale have been studying cosmic radiation’s particle energy spectrum—in particular, the high end (above a quadrillion electron volts per nucleon).[2] They have found two peaks in the spectra, protruding high above the background. These peaks, they say, are the signature of a single, major event—a local, recent supernova blast.[3] In other words, the thousands of supernova remnants scattered throughout the Milky Way Galaxy account for the relatively constant radiation background, but the two peaks tell of a local, recent supernova, the shock waves of which would have increased the velocities of oxygen and iron nuclei, turning them into killer radiation.

    Initially, Erlykin and Wolfendale loosely identified this supernova as one closer than 3,000 light years and more recent than 100,000 years ago.[4] These features suggested the Vela supernova (distance = 936 light years[5]; eruption date = 20,000-30,000 years ago[6]) as a prime possibility. With improved data, however, Erlykin and Wolfendale have been able to make a more positive identification. This particular supernova occurred so close to Earth that our solar system likely resides just inside the shell of its remnant.[7] That remnant itself, they point out, occupies a significant portion (up to 40 degrees) of the sky—so vastly spread out that astronomers would have had great difficulty distinguishing it from the background.[8]

    This local, recent supernova may be a key to explaining the change in life spans from the Genesis patriarchs’ era to the present. Early humans, living before the supernova event, would have been exposed to a much lower incidence of high-energy, heavy-nuclei cosmic radiation. Consequently, they would have faced a lesser risk of cancer and cell damage. And if they lived in the Mesopotamian Plain, they would have experienced less exposure to the radiation that comes from igneous rocks (assuming they had not yet exploited gravel, granite, concrete, asphalt, etc. as building materials).

    Further implication of this supernova’s involvement in reducing life spans comes from the pattern of that reduction. It can be reasonably inferred from Genesis 9:28 and 11:10-26 that life span reduction did not occur all at once; rather, it occurred somewhat gradually, following the curve scientists would predict for the increasing impact of the deadly rays.

    With certain minor biochemical adjustments (such as increased telomerase activity)[9] and a low-calorie, low-oxidant, high-antioxidant diet (such as the pre-Flood humans were instructed to eat),[10] people living before the time of that supernova could possibly have lived several hundred years, just as the biblical text says.

    It may be a bit technical, however, the gist of the argument is that the longevity of their age as in the case of Methusaleh's era being more elongated relative to ours is some what explainable by Science or to be more accurate it is a likelihood scenario even by human understanding. Thus one should not be surprised when s/he learns those years are literal on this specific case. I hope that helps at least a little.....

  • btw, i think it was supposed to be that all humans live so long till the people did evil in the days of Noah and so God said u won't live over 120 yrs?

    and i hv a Q did any1 after that live over 120?
  • Of course that happened because God said/allowed it to be so. That whole process is just the possible scenarios of how such an occurrence took place in a way we can comprehend, I think, but could be wrong though.

    Concerning people who live more than 120 years after Noah's time, yea, there were , I guess, some people who have been alive for more than 120 years, kind of exceptional. Check this link, the one I managed to get from the web for now: Jeanne Calment

    I do not think that contradicts with the bible for it is true almost to all.
  • And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

    Genesis 6:3
  • But when God speaks in terms of years and time, you can never take it literally.
  • [quote author=a_deacon link=board=1;threadid=3452;start=0#msg50277 date=1142728411]

    And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

    Genesis 6:3


    I already saw that verse but I do not see any contradiction if that was your intention. Can you explain what you are trying to say by citing that verse before I comment on it? Thanks.
  • When I was talking about God and years, I was referring to this verse:

    And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
    Genesis 6:3

    God himself said this, since the verse says, the LORD said. When God speaks in terms of time and "zaman", he cannot be taken literally.

    Elitew, I think a_deacon was trying to say that the years cannot be literal since God himself said no man can live longer than 120 years, but I have cleared that above.
Sign In or Register to comment.