Long-lived Humans

One of the most ridiculed portions of the Bible is the chapters in the book of Genesis that give vast ages for the patriarchs. Men once regularly lived to be over 900 years old! However, longevity dropped significantly after the Flood to a few hundred years, and finally came down to current averages by the time of the Exodus.

What could cause such a dramatic drop-off in longevity since primeval times? Art Brown presents his theory of senescence (aging) in the book Methusaleh’s Secret. After reviewing evidence like longevity statistics vis-à-vis geography, people who live in steep canyons and valleys and attain great ages, the puzzling jump in longevity in the 1911-1951 timeframe (greater even than the jump brought about by miracle drugs since) when automation in transportation and production moved people indoors, Brown concludes that exposure to the sun’s UV radiation is responsible for dramatically shortening our lives. His work climaxes with the sensational story of the Dickerson children. These children lived secreted away in an attic until they were teenagers. As the pictures to the right show (note Connie, Gordon and Glenda Dickerson at age 18, 15, and 13 respectively), these “Methusaleh Children” had nearly stopped aging! Although healthy and intelligent, they appeared many years younger. Connie Dickerson B. is now in her 60’s, though she appears a good decade younger (personal interview with G.P.). Art Brown submits that Methusaleh’s secret was the canopy surrounding the early earth that blocked harmful sunlight.

Dr. Jack Cuozzo extensively studied Neanderthal bones and came to some startling conclusions. Based upon both cranial measurements (pictured on right) and tooth enamel wear, Cuozzo estimates the age at death being 250-300 years old! (Buried Alive, p. 203, p.234) Besides the early earth environment that may have contributed to such longevity, Cuozzo cites recent evidence from reconstructing ancient mammalian enzymes to show a dramatic decrease in efficiency over time. Such devolution could contribute in multiple ways to the wearing out of biological systems (p. 268). John Cuozzo (a post-doctoral fellow in molecular biology at MIT) is joining his father in studying the effects of decay in various organisms, including lions and horses. Intelligent Design theorists would predict that life-forms in the fossil record would be larger, healthier and enjoy greater longevity than modern ones. This is because these biological systems will deteriorate over time. Can the scriptures be a reliable source for such scientific insight into the natural world? While the Bible is not a science text, there are several lines of evidence that the Bible is God’s Word.