Longevity myths

Longevity mythsare traditions about long-lived people (generallysupercentenarians), either as individuals or groups of people, and practices that have been believed to confer longevity, but which current scientific evidence does not support, nor the reasons for the claims.While literal interpretations of such myths may appear to indicate extraordinarily long lifespans, experts believe such figures may be the result of incorrect translations of number systems through various languages, coupled along with the cultural and symbolic significance of certain numbers.
The phrase "longevity tradition" may include "purifications, rituals, longevity practices, meditations, andalchemy"that have been believed to confer greater human longevity, especially inChinese culture.
Modern science indicates various ways in whichgenetics,diet, andlifestyleaffect human longevity. It also allows us todetermine the age of human remainswith a fair degree of precision.
The record for the maximum verified lifespan in the modern world is122+1⁄2years for women (Jeanne Calment) and 116 years for men (Jiroemon Kimura). Some scientists estimate that in case of the most ideal conditions people can live up to 127 years.This does not exclude the theoretical possibility that in the case of a fortunate combination of mutations there could be a person who lives longer. Though the lifespan of humans is one of the longest in nature, there are animals that live longer. For example, some individuals of theGalapagos tortoiselive more than 175 years,and some individuals of thebowhead whalemore than 200 years.Some scientists cautiously suggest that the human body can have sufficient resources to live up to 150 years.
Several parts of theHebrew Bible, including theTorah,Joshua,Job, andChronicles, mention individuals with very long lifespans, up to the 969 years ofMethuselah.
TheSefer haYasharnarrates that all of the long-lived people belonged to a special class and that Methusaleh was the last member.Methusaleh also lived long enough to evangelize with his grandson Noah in the antediluvian world.
Some Christianapologistsexplain the extreme ages in the Hebrew Bible (orOld Testament) as ancient mistranslations that converted the word "month" to "year", mistaking lunar cycles for solar ones: this would turn an age of 969 years into a more reasonable 969lunar months, or about 78.3 solar years.Donald Etz says that the Genesis 5 numbers were multiplied by ten by a later editor.
Both these interpretations introduce an inconsistency: they would mean that the ages of the first nine patriarchs at fatherhood, ranging from 62 to 230 years in the manuscripts, would then be transformed into an implausible range such as 5 to18+1⁄2years.Others say that the first list, of only 10 names for 1,656 years, may contain generational gaps, which would have been represented by the lengthy lifetimes attributed to the patriarchs.Nineteenth-century critic Vincent Goehlert suggests the lifetimes "represented epochs merely, to which were given the names of the personages especially prominent in such epochs, who, in consequence of their comparatively long lives, were able to acquire an exalted influence".
Thosebiblical scholarsthat teachliteral interpretationgive explanations for the advanced ages of the early patriarchs. In one view, man was originally to have everlasting life, but assinwas introduced into the world byAdam,its influence became greater with each generation and God progressively shortened man's life.In a second view, beforeNoah's flood, a "firmament" over the earth (Genesis 1:6–8) contributed to people's advanced ages.The Bible's own (brief) explanation for these ages approaches the question from a different angle, explaining instead the relative shortness of normal lives inGenesis 6:3(CSB): "And the Lord said, 'My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.'"
Conservative apologistWilliam Lane Craigbelieves that the longevity myths should be understood as 'mytho-history', where the ages of culturally significant figures were exaggerated to make a political or theological point. He points to similar practices found in neighboring cultures such as theBabyloniansand argues that both Hebrews and Babylonians were aware that human longevity was biologically unfeasible.Similar arguments were made by professor Robert Gnuse.
Here are some more modern examples of Christian longevity claims:
Ibrahim(إِبْرَاهِيم) was said to have lived to 168–169 years.His wifeSarahis the only woman in theOld Testamentwhose age is given. She died at 127 (Genesis 23:1).
In theQuran, Noah allegedly lived for 950 years with his people.
According to 19th-century scholars, Abdul Azziz al-Hafeed al-Habashi (عبد العزيز الحبشي) lived 673–674 Gregorian years, or 694–695 Islamic years, between 581 and 1276AH(equivalent to 1185–1859 AD).
InTwelver Shia Islam,Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdiis believed to currently be inOccultationand still alive (age1155).
Chapter 2 ofFalun GongbyLi Hongzhi(2001) states,
Extreme lifespans are ascribed to theTirthankaras, for instance:
The termxianrefers to deified persons who have achieved immortality. TheOld Man of the South Poleis a common archetype and symbol for longevity.
These include claims prior toc.150 CE, before thefall of the Roman empire.
The Egyptian historianManetho, drawing upon earlier sources, begins his Egyptian king list with theGraeco-Egyptian godHephaestus(Ptah) who "was king for 9,000 years".
A bookMacrobii("Long-Livers") is a work devoted to longevity. It was attributed to theancient GreekauthorLucian, although it is now accepted that he could not have written it.Most examples given in it are lifespans of 80 to 100 years, but some are much longer:
According to one tradition,Epimenidesof Crete (7th, 6th centuries BC) lived nearly 300 years.
Some early emperors ofJapanare said to have ruled for more than a century, according to the tradition documented in theKojiki, viz., Emperor Jimmu and Emperor Kōan.
The reigns ofseveral shahsin theShahnameh, an epic poem byFerdowsi, are given as longer than a century:
In Roman times,Plinywrote about longevity records from thecensuscarried out in 74 AD underVespasian. In one region of Italy many people allegedly lived past 100; four were said to be 130, others up to 140.
Age claims for the earliest eightSumeriankings in the major recension of theSumerian King Listwere in units and fractions ofshar(3,600 years) and totaled 67sharor 241,200 years.
In the only ten-king tablet recension of this list three kings (Alalngar, [...], kidunnu, andEn-men-dur-ana) are recorded as having reigned 72,000 years together.The major recension assigns 43,200 years to the reign ofEn-men-lu-ana, and 36,000 years each to those ofAlalngarandDumuzid.
This list includes claims of longevity of 130 and older from the 14th century onward.All birth year and age claims are allegedunless stated otherwise.
The following cases have been documented in detail over time.
According to a 2021 review, there is noclinical evidencethat any dietary practice contributes to longevity.
Traditions that have been believed to confer greater human longevity includealchemy.