The cumulative total of these years equals 1287 years. Further extending this timeframe beyond the lineage discussed, if we add 969 years leading up to the Flood (Gen. 5:26-32, Gen. 7:6), we arrive at a total of 2256 years from creation to the Flood, according to the chronology found in the Greek and Church Slavonic texts of the Bible, corroborated with the ancient Samaritan accounts and writings by Josephus Flavius. The Greek chronology suggests approximately 600 more years than the Hebrew record, where the first six patriarchs father their children a century earlier than reported in the Hebrew scriptures. Although the roots of this difference are challenging to elucidate, it does not detract from the pure essence of the redemptive truths proclaimed within Scripture.
Questions have arisen regarding the remarkable longevity of the patriarchs both before and following the Flood until the time of Abraham, as human lifespans began to diminish. Some find it difficult to believe that individuals could live to be 900, 800, 700, or even 600 years old, theorizing that Moses might have counted years as months, inspired by ancient Egyptian practices. However, this assumption is unsupported by Moses's narrative. Rather, he distinctly differentiates between a year and a month of 30 days when describing the Flood. 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 burst forth" (Gen. 7:11). It would also be inaccurate to compress his account into shorter periods. He clearly refers to a duration of about 12 months within the Flood year, beginning on the 17th day of the second month in Noah's 600th year and concluding on the 27th day of the second month of his 601st year (Genesis 8:13-14). During the Flood's span, Moses counts 150 days—equivalent to five months of inundation—before he notes the gradual receding of the waters, first on the 17th day of the seventh month and then on the first day of the first month, when the earth was finally dry. If we were to equate the lifespans of the patriarchs with modern months, it would suggest that some patriarchs fathered children at implausibly young ages. For instance, Arphaxad, living 500 years, would have fathered Salah at merely 12 years old (Genesis records this as 135 years old (Gen. 11:12-13)). Similarly, Terah, Abraham's father, is said to have had a son in the sixth year of his life (Gen. 11:26-32). Moreover, Jacob, at 130, laments to Pharaoh that his years are fewer than those of his ancestors (Gen. 47:9). Had his forefathers only lived hundreds of months rather than years, this complaint would lose its weight; Jacob would have lived longer than both his immediate ancestors and the pre-Flood patriarchs. The longevity of the patriarchs signifies God's Providence, allowing humanity to multiply rapidly while accumulating wisdom and experience, making them fit to lead succeeding generations. In a time lacking written divine revelation, these patriarchs embodied living testimonies of God's truths. Individuals could hear about the same holy revelations and share them with others across centuries. For example, Noah could converse with Maleel, who in turn could speak with Adam. Methuselah, who perished during the Flood, was able to recount what he learned from Enos, Seth's son. Thus, both subsequent revelations and the pristine revelations received by Adam in Paradise could persist into the post-Flood era, unblemished and fresh.
The historian, in outlining the lineage of the patriarchs, notes the year each one was born, their lifespan until they fathered their successors destined to continue the chosen line, and concludes every life history with the statement “and died.” This underscores the immutable truth of mortality. Humanity may endure, but life is perpetually renewed through the birth of new generations. The lineage from which the holy seed intended for the spiritual renewal of mankind arose did not perish. Nevertheless, the judgment declared upon Adam—that he would return to the earth—was fulfilled upon individuals, even if they did not share in Adam’s transgression (Rom. 5:14). Within the lineage of patriarchs, only Enoch stood apart from this universal law. Concerning him, it is written, “And Enoch pleased God, and was not found, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). More specifically, as translated from Hebrew, “And Enoch walked with God,” indicating his intimate communion with the Divine, approaching Him in faith and love, and thus drawing special favor, possibly even experiencing divine encounters similar to those Adam had in Eden. “And he was not found,” signifies that he ceased to exist in the physical realm since God had transformed him. The Apostle elucidates this transformation saying, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was found no more, because God had translated him” (Heb. 11:5) into a blessed existence. Enoch’s transformation parallels the later event of Elijah's ascension to heaven (2 Kings 2:10) and foreshadows what will occur for those alive at Christ’s second coming, when they will be changed and made incorruptible alongside the resurrected dead (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Enoch was translated directly into glory, bypassing death and suffering. The purpose of this miraculous event is to inspire faith in eternal life amidst widespread mortality and to affirm hope in resurrection. Additionally, the son of Sirach notes: “Enoch... was taken as an example of repentance for his contemporaries” (Sir. 44:15). This implies that his peers could see in Enoch’s life the rewards of living in repentance and striving against sin, thus motivating them to embrace repentance themselves. Enoch demonstrated the way of repentance not solely by his life and fate but also through his prophetic proclamations, as the apostle Jude recounts his words: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment on all and to convict every soul of all ungodly deeds which they have committed in ungodliness” (Jude 1:14-15). Similar prophecies attributed to Enoch appear in other writings that may contain speculative ideas about celestial beings and human interactions, but it is clear that the prophetic words quoted by Jude stem from an authentic tradition rather than those texts, blending truth with fallacies.
THEOSIS