Seth was 205 years old when Enos was born; Enos lived for 190 years before Cainan was born; Cainan was 170 years before Maleel was born; Maleel was 165 years before Jared was born; Jared was 162 years when Enoch was born; Enoch was 165 years before Methuselah was born. Adding these figures yields a total of 1287 years. Beyond the limits of our focus, we also must account for an additional 969 years until the Flood (Gen. 5:26-32; Gen. 7:6), resulting in 2256 years from creation to the Flood according to the chronology found in the Greek and Church Slavonic versions of the Bible, corroborated by the ancient Samaritan text and Josephus Flavius. The Greek chronology grants roughly 600 additional years when compared to the Hebrew text, attributing to each of the first six patriarchs a paternity that is a century earlier than that recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Although explaining this variation is challenging, it does not impede the pure teachings of the saving doctrine within the Holy Scriptures.
Second, some have questioned the remarkable longevity of the patriarchs both before the Flood and after, until the time of Abraham, when human life began to decrease gradually. Considering it astonishing that individuals could reach ages of 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, and even 200 years, they speculate that Moses, following the tradition of the ancient Egyptians who counted a year as a month, might have meant to say the years of the patriarchs were actually months. However, Moses' account does not support this theory. In his narrative regarding the Flood, he clearly differentiates between a full year and a month of 30 days. For example, he states, "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, ... on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up" (Gen. 7:11). Moreover, Moses’ description of the events surrounding the Flood clearly indicates a full year, with the Flood commencing on the 17th day of the second month in Noah's 600th year and concluding on the 27th day of the second month of Noah's 601st year (Genesis 8:13-14). He counts the days of the Flood as lasting for 150 days (approximately 5 months) and specifies the gradual receding of the waters over the following months. If we were to assume that the patriarchs' years equate to our months, it would imply that some became fathers at alarmingly young ages, such as Arphaxad, who supposedly fathered Salah at only 12 years old (Genesis states he fathered him at 135 years, Gen. 11:12-13), and Terah, Abraham’s father, having a son in his 6th year (Gen. 11:26-32). Another contradiction arises with Jacob, who, at 130 years old, laments to Pharaoh that his days have not reached the years of his ancestors (Gen. 47:9). If the years of his forefathers were merely months, his complaint would hold little significance, as he would exceed the lifespan of both his immediate ancestors and the pre-Flood patriarchs. Acknowledging the longevity of the patriarchs points to the divine providence of God: as the patriarchs lived longer, humanity multiplied more rapidly, accumulating wisdom and experience, and thereby providing effective leadership for future generations, which was crucial during the early and naive state of humankind. This extended lifespan ensured a reliable transmission of divine revelation and sacred traditions among the worshippers of the one true God at a time when the Word of God had not yet been written. The patriarchs served as a living testament to the revelations of God, capable of sharing divine truths and teachings across generations. For instance, Noah, who lived around 600 years before the Flood, could share conversations with Maleel, while Maleel conversed with Adam. Methuselah, who passed away in the year of the Flood, could convey messages he had received directly from Enos, the son of Seth. Thus, both subsequent divine revelations and the original insights imparted to Adam in Paradise remained intact in the post-Flood world. In addition to special Providence from God, natural factors contributed to the longevity of these patriarchs, including a pristine environment, an uncorrupted natural world, a simple lifestyle close to nature, and the well-preserved condition of the human body. With fewer ancestors, there was less hereditary decline for descendants, making these early times advantageous compared to later eras.
Lastly, the historian recounts the births of the pre-Flood patriarchs, detailing the duration of each life until the birth of a son destined to continue the blessed lineage, culminating with the repeated phrase "and died." This illustrates a consistent truth: while humanity does not cease to exist, life is perpetually rejuvenated by new generations. The lineage prepared for the spiritual renewal of humankind endured. Yet, the judgment declared upon Adam, "Thou art dust, and unto dust shalt thou return," was to apply to individuals, even if they "have not sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression" (Rom. 5:14). One notable exception in this patriarchal narrative is Enoch. It is said of him, "And Enoch pleased God, and he was not found, for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). The text indicates that Enoch walked closely with God, signifying deep spiritual communion and attracting His special favor, potentially even experiencing divine manifestations similar to those enjoyed by Adam in paradise. The phrase "he was not found" indicates his absence, for God had transformed him. As the Apostle states, "By faith Enoch was so moved that he did not see death; and he was no more, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11:5) into a state of blessedness. Enoch's experience mirrors that of Elijah, who ascended alive from the earth (2 Kings 2:10), similar to what will occur for those taken up at the second coming of Christ – they will be transformed without experiencing death, rising with those resurrected to incorruptibility (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Enoch was transitioned directly into a glorious state, bypassing death or illness, a miracle intended to inspire faith in eternal life amid the pervasive reality of mortality. Additionally, the son of Sirach comments that Enoch "was taken as a pattern of repentance for his contemporaries" (Sir. 44:15), demonstrating that his life exemplified the high reward of a life of repentance and struggle against sin, encouraging others to pursue a similar path. Enoch imparted messages of repentance through not only his life and fate but also his prophetic role, as evidenced by the Apostolic citation of his prophecy: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 1:14-15). While an apocryphal work attributed to Enoch is rife with inaccuracies and fantastical notions, it is clear that the prophetic words cited by Jude were transmitted through true tradition rather than derived from that text, blending elements of truth with various falsehoods.
THEOSIS