Prophet Methuselah. Meaning of the word Methuselah

), famous for his longevity: he lived 969 years. The oldest person whose age is recorded in the Bible.

Methuselah in modern culture

Methuselah in science

One of the modern trends in genetics is the search for “Methuselah genes,” longevity genes, the carriers of which are likely to live to 100 years or more. According to some, genes can protect a person not only from the harm caused to the body by smoking, alcohol or poor diet, but also from age-related diseases and even cancer. Dutch scientists led by Elin Slagboom from the University of Leiden found that 30% of centenarians have the ADIPOQ gene, and 20% have the CETP and ApoC3 genes. These same genes are observed in only 10% of young people.

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See what "Methuselah" is in other dictionaries:

See centenarian Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011. methuselah noun, number of synonyms: 5 ... Synonym dictionary

- (Heb. Mçtûðçlah), in the Old Testament legends, one of the patriarchs, the forefathers of humanity (Genesis 5, 21 27), famous for his longevity (“Methuselah age”): he lived 969 years. It is said that M. fought with the evil spirits of the Sheddim (cf. Akkadian... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

Heb. The name of a person who has reached 969 years of age. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Mikhelson A.D., 1865 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (foreign) durable Wed. Will you really be the second Methuselah? Krylov. An old man and three young people. Wed. Where's the glory? where is the splendor? Where are you, O strong man? Methuselah longevity If only it were a dream, only a shadow of our age. Derzhavin. Waterfall. Methuselah lived 969 years... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

In the Bible, Noah's grandfather lived 969 years. Figuratively: the age of Methuselah is longevity. * * * METHUSAHEL METHUSAHEL, in the Bible one of the patriarchs, the son of Enoch, the grandfather of Noah (see NOAH), who lived 969 years. In a figurative sense: the age of Methuselah is longevity... encyclopedic Dictionary

Biblical patriarch, father of Lamech, grandfather of Noah; the most durable of people, since according to biblical testimony he lived 969 years (Genesis V, 21-27). There is another M., from the family of Cain (Gen. IV, 18) ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

In the Old Testament, father of Lamech, grandfather of Noah and descendant of Seth (Gen 5:21-27). According to legend, he lived longer than any person who has ever lived, reaching the age of 969 years (Genesis 5:27) ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Methuselah (foreigner) durable. Wed. Will you really be the second Methuselah? Krylov. An old man and three young people. Wed. Where is the glory? where is the splendor? Where are you, O strong man? Methuselah longevity If only it were a dream, only a shadow of our age. Derzhavin. Waterfall... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

M. Grandfather of Noah, who lived 969 years according to the biblical legend. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Methuselah- Mafusa or... Russian spelling dictionary

Interesting question, isn't it? And it’s definitely very difficult to answer. But let's try to deal with it sequentially.

So, Methuselah - who is he and why is he called that?

Let's start with Biblical interpretation, because it was from the Bible that this hero and his age became known.

If we open the first book of the Bible - Genesis, and start reading it, we will very soon discover that there were quite a lot of long-livers in those distant Old Testament times. For example, Methuselah’s uncle Jared lived 962 years; Adam was 930 years old when he went to the other world (for he could not go to his forefathers, since he himself is the forefather for all of us). Seth, Adam's son, lived on earth for 912 years, and Seth's son, Bnoz, lived for 905 years. Having reached 910 years of age, Cainan, the great-grandson of Adam, died, and Noah, the only righteous man whom God left on earth after the flood, the grandson of Methuselah, left this sinful earth at 950 years old.

For a very long time people have been tormented by the question: how could they reach such an age? And, naturally, many tried to search and even found answers to this question. As you know, how many people - so many opinions. This is where there are many versions about the secrets of the longevity of biblical people and Methuselah in particular.

The first version comes from the Bible itself. For example, in the Proverbs of Solomon, in the eighteenth chapter, verse 22 it says - “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will taste its fruits.” That is, if you say good words, everything will be fine; if you say bad words, everything will be fine. And the meaning of the word “Methuselah” is “Long-lasting”! Imagine, everyone around him, always turning to him, said: “Hey, Long-lived...”, or “Hello, Long-lived...”. And he himself spoke about himself when meeting someone: “It’s very nice, I am Durable.” With so many proclamations of this word into one’s life, it was simply impossible to die earlier. Agree!

The second version of the secret of Methuselah’s longevity is in the ecology of that time. Since Methuselah was born more than five thousand years ago, and the state of nature in those days could still be called pristine, pure and untouched by “civilizational ailments,” this affected the life expectancy of those people, our forefathers, the aborigines of the earth.

The third version follows very smoothly from the second. That is, due to the good environmental situation of that time, all herbs were pure and beneficial for humans. So Methuselah drank tea twice a day. But it was not simple tea at all! Herbal! It is believed that God himself gave the recipe for this tea to Adam and his descendants. This divine drink consisted of three ingredients: belladonna herb, opium poppy and marijuana! I don’t think it’s worth telling you how harmful and poisonous all these herbs are for us today?

Although scientists who adhere to this version are still trying to find the optimal proportion of these plants to brew them into tea, and thereby extend human life by several decades.

Here is another interesting version about the longevity of Methuselah. Some scholars believe that the calculations in the Bible are not by years, but by months. That is, life lasted not 969 years, but 969 months, which, translated into years, leads us to a decent figure - 80.5 years. But, in the same chapter of the Bible, Cainan is mentioned, the great-grandson of Adam, who, according to what is written, became a father at the age of 70. And if you believe the scientists, 70 months, that is, five and a half years!?!? Funny! That's why the whole world laughs at this version!

What do most people who study this question and try to answer it still tend to?

The fact is that throughout the entire Bible one thought runs like a red line - a happy, long and righteous life. Is this achievable for us? Everyone decides for themselves! Much is not required: always remain calm, respect and honor your parents, do not give in to emotions, be guided by your conscience and reason, which should always be kept sober and healthy. Don’t try to give advice when it’s not asked, don’t get angry, and don’t irritate your children. Always act as your heart tells you, and it speaks in silence and calmness, therefore, do not be talkers, but be listeners and doers! Yes, doers, don’t be lazy, but go and do. Change yourself and the world around you with your love and light, and they are necessarily invested in everyone. That is, to be righteous. Then longevity is guaranteed.

Most likely, Methuselah was just like that, and that’s why he lived so long! Because the Bible does not describe or even mention bad people, only righteous ones. And all this so that we can learn from them.

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Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Methuselah(in Church Slavonic and Russian Synodal translations - Methuselah) (Hebrew: מתושלח ‏‎, Metushelach) - in the Bible - one of the forefathers of humanity (Genesis 5:21-27), famous for his longevity: he lived 969 years. The oldest person whose age is recorded in the Bible.

Methuselah in modern culture

• The first book in the series of science fiction novels by R. Heinlein about artificial control when crossing long-lived representatives of certain families and the problems of morality in the life of the old among the young “Children of Methuselah”
• The Methuselah Foundation is a non-governmental scientific organization that founded the MPrize, which is paid to researchers for extending the lives of experimental mice longer and also for reversing the effects of aging in them.
• Mark Twain's book "Adam's Diary".
• Bernard Shaw's play Back to Methuselah.
• In the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, the Methuselahs (in Russian translations the variant “metuselah” is often found, from the Latin spelling of the name) are the oldest vampires of the fourth and fifth generations (Cain is considered a first-generation vampire), existing for more than several millennia and possessing almost divine power.
• In anime and manga Trinity Blood“Methuselahs” are people who are infected with a special virus that gives them, among other things, supernatural life expectancy.
• In the story and literary version of the film script by the Strugatsky brothers “Five Spoons of Elixir,” one of the characters calls “methuselah” a substance that indefinitely prolongs life.
• One of the episodes of the science fiction series "Star Trek: The Original Series" is called "Requiem for Methuselah." In the story, the starship crew meets a centenarian about 6,000 years old, who flew from Earth to a distant planet in the second half of the second millennium.
• Metzuselah (Methuselah) is the main character of Ozaki Kaori's manga The Immortal Rain; According to the plot, he is doomed to eternal life by his former comrade, the eternally reborn Yuka.
• Victor Pelevin’s novel “The Lamp of Methuselah, or the Ultimate Battle of the Chekists with the Freemasons.”

To the cinema

• Noah / Noah (2014; USA) directed by Darren Aronofsky, in the role of Methuselah Thor Kjartansson (in his youth), Anthony Hopkins (in his old age).

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing Methuselah

The oldest person whose age is indicated in the Bible, one of the forefathers of humanity, Methuselah (Hebrew מתושלח‎, Methuselah) (Gen. 5:21-27) was born approximately 5,300 years ago and lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years.

Methuselah, according to the book of Genesis, was the son of Enoch and the father of Lamech, whom he conceived at the age of 187. His name became a common noun to designate a long-liver (“Methuselah age”).

It is said that Methuselah fought with evil spirits (sheddim); Supposedly, his name comes from the words "mavet" (death) and "shelah" (sword) or "shalah" (to send away). According to legend, his prayer had the power to drive away, “send away” death, with which he fought as if with a spiritual sword, saving people. His prayer for perishing humanity, combined with Noah’s prayer, delayed the Great Flood, which began only after the death of Methuselah.

Methuselah reached “the ends of the earth” to learn from his father Enoch about the upcoming Flood and the salvation of Noah, the grandson of Methuselah (Book of Enoch 111-112, Midrash Haggadah to Gen. 6, 25). Methuselah's death occurred just before the Flood (Gen. 6:27; 7:6), in the 600th year of Noah's life. According to the Haggadah, the Flood was delayed by seven days to allow a week of mourning for Methuselah. Subsequently, some Jewish theologians questioned Methuselah's righteousness, also citing his age.

Among the “seven great shepherds” (Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David) he must appear on earth before the coming of the Messiah.

Why did Methuselah live so long? There are different hypotheses on this matter. One of them - Methuselah consumed an infusion of herbs (tea). God gave Adam and Eve the secret of making such tea after their expulsion from Eden, but the recipe was lost about four thousand years ago. This amazing drink became the reason for the longevity of Methuselah, who lived for almost a thousand years, and it also kept Adam and his children in excellent shape.

This discovery was made by German archaeologist Wolfgang Lempke, chairman of the Bible Study Society of the University of Stuttgart. Wolfgang Lempke and a number of scientists are trying to restore the recipe using computer technology. Such herbs exist even now, it’s just necessary to find the required proportion. But the tea contains plants such as the deadly poisonous belladonna, marijuana and opium poppy. Using this tea, Adam lived 930 years, Methuselah 969 years, Noah -950 years. The drink was known among the Babylonians, "hai" - which means "life".

After Noah, life expectancy began to decrease. Apparently the recipe for the tea was lost during the Flood. And tea contains all the vitamins necessary for life and slows down the aging process of body cells. There can be many combinations for compiling a recipe, and it will not be possible to say with confidence that the recipe fully corresponds to the lost composition. But using parts of recipes found in Sumerian and ancient Babylonian texts, scientists will try to reconstruct it.

Noah's grandfather Methuselah lived 969 years! How did he do it? and got the best answer

Answer from Yovetlan[guru]
Summer calculation was carried out according to the lunar calendar. And so for a little more than 80 years. (maybe my version is not correct).

Answer from Stikssi[guru]
In those distant times, everyone was long-lived....

Answer from Lara_s[newbie]
just ask him)

Answer from Treasurer[guru]
Since Ur of the Chaldeans was also the birthplace of Abraham, it is quite logical to move on to the biblical forefathers. The name of Patriarch Methuselah became synonymous with longevity, after all; he died at the venerable age of 969 years. However, among other forefathers he is only the first among equals. His grandfather, Jared, lived only seven years younger. Therefore, by the way, in the 18th and 9th centuries they spoke not only “Methuselah Ages,” but also “Ared Ages.” In general, according to the Old Testament, before the Great Flood, people, as a rule, lived for several hundred years: Adam 930, his son Seth 912, his grandson Enos 905, his great-grandson Cainan 910; son of Cainan, Maleleel 895 years old, son of Maleleel, the aforementioned Jared 962 years old, son of Jared and father of Methuselah, Enoch 365 years old, son of Methuselah, Lamech 753 years old; finally, Methuselah's grandson, Noah, who survived the flood, died, having lived to be 950 years old. True, as in the case of the Sumerians, some Bible commentators believe that the Jews in those days considered a year to be a period equal to two lunar months. However, even in this case, all the forefathers were noticeably over one hundred. Subsequently, due to increasing sinfulness, life expectancy began to decrease. Nevertheless, Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old, and “his vision was not dulled and his strength was not exhausted.” A native of Ur, the already mentioned Abraham, lived 175 years, his wife Sarah 127, Joseph the Beautiful and Joshua 110 years each.

Answer from Marco is smart[guru]
I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, and, in general, it’s a fairy tale!

Answer from Orthodox[guru]
In antediluvian times, the atmosphere was much denser, much like it is now on Venus. There was a greenhouse effect and an even climate throughout the planet. That is, very comfortable living conditions. Under such conditions you can live for thousands of years. If it weren't for the deadly virus of sin...

Answer from Valentina Lysakova[guru]
When Noah’s grandfather lived, then the structure of the earth was somewhat different, which was preserved until the flood and people could easily live for 1000 years. Now God has established a different age: “The days of our years are seventy years, and with greater strength - eighty years; and the best their time is labor and illness, for they pass quickly, and we fly."

Answer from Valery Antipin[guru]
fantasy, legend.

Answer from Ioman Chuprikov[master]
I wonder why the Bible doesn’t write the year of birth and year of death in parentheses for these? I would laugh...

Answer from Dmitriy[guru]
Drank the blood of virgins

Answer from M.K.[guru]
so he is the eternal Jew...

Answer from ALEXA XXXXX[newbie]
But he seemed to be a highlander, an almost immortal warrior.

Answer from Evgesha ®[guru]
Yes, he just didn’t count the years)) didn’t know how to count))

Answer from Kosha[guru]
I wouldn’t mind living that long either!!!

Answer from Ekaterina Khitarishvili[guru]
... How do you know that? -

Answer from Just Marishka[guru]
American professor Valter Longo exploded a real bomb in the biological world. He proves that a person can live up to 800 years. Almost like Noah's famous grandfather Methuselah. Arguments? A scientist has set a record by managing to extend the life of ordinary yeast, which is used in baking bread, tenfold: from one week to ten! To do this, two genes were removed from the fungus, which, according to scientists, contribute to aging and the development of cancer. In addition, the yeast was put on a low-calorie diet. Why does a minimum of calories add years? Biologists believe that with such a diet, many animals change their life strategy. Instead of spending precious energy reserves on reproduction, they shut down all body functions except those that support the most minimal needs. In other words, the animal chooses between high fertility or longevity. For example, mice breed, bearing offspring several times a year, but they do not live long - only two years. But their flying relatives choose to live for many years: they give birth to one or two young per year, but they live for more than 30 years. That is, the genes contain a longer life span than some species of animals. Why? The answer is given by the theory of “discarded soma or body.” The point is this. Genes can extend the life of an organism, but there is a balance between the costs of repairing a decrepit body and the benefits of longevity. There may come a point when the game is no longer worth the effort: the cost of repairs becomes prohibitively expensive, as is the case with fixing an old car. From this moment on, the “soma” - the body - is written off as scrap, since it can no longer be restored. But Longo has another hypothesis: death is not the wear and tear of the body at all, but a genetically programmed departure from life in order to eliminate the elderly and make way for the young. According to the scientist, his experiments prove that this program can be “deceived.” “Programmed human aging is just a hypothesis,” says Longo. - We don’t yet know how true it is, but if aging is programmed in yeast fungus, and the metabolic mechanism is very similar to the human one, then couldn’t it be that people also die prematurely? Most gerontologists believe that the maximum human lifespan is not exceeds 125 years. According to Robin Halliday, a prominent British gerontologist, the aging process cannot be outwitted by extending life by decades or even centuries. But it seems that this is exactly what Longo did, albeit with a fungus.

Answer from Maxim Malkov[guru]
It’s just that the lamers didn’t call him 30 times a day

Answer from Victorizer[guru]
Methuselah knew a prayer before which death receded. Most likely, God himself revealed it to him, but he took it with him. While he was alive, he prayed both for Noah’s father and for Noah himself, who was in his 600th year when Methuselah died. He is included among the 7 prophets who must appear before the coming of the Messiah.