Lifespan 1000 years to 80?

[Gawdzilla]

Of all the nonsense in that crusty old book, the incredible drop in average human lifetime since the days of Seth, Methusalah, et al is one of my favourite examples of bible bull. It must give literalists a particularly tough time in mental acrobatics to try and conflate men who lived to 1000 years with, well, evidence that says otherwise.

If the deterioration of human DNA resulted in an average drop in lifespan of 29 years per generation (27) from Adam (930) to Jacob (147) between 4100 b.c. to 2000 b.c. what was the number of mutations linked to this amazing fall? There must have been some crazy fucked up mutant children popping out.

Why do we then see from 2000 b.c. to present an average drop in life expectancy of 0.5 years? Assuming average generation of 30 years (135 generations) and ignoring the low figures during the middle ages and other time periods.

If some of those folk were knocking kids out in their later years like Noah still going strong and having Shem and Ham at 500 or 600 years of age and they continued the trend then we might only be 10 or so generations down the line and we should see some of his descendants among us living to about 500 years at least?

Seeing as the average life expectancy is increasing is this a sign that the punishment of the fall of man is reversing? Has the potency of that fucking rotten apple finally gone?

So many questions. I'm slightly embarrassed that 1 - I actually spent time thinking about this when I could have done something productive and 2 - I thought it would be any more productive by sharing it here.

Anyway, have at it my Xtians and atheists friends.

What constitutes a Year, now?

What constituted a year before Gregorian calendar, before the Roman, before the Grecian, before the Hebrew calendar?

What constituted a "year" when Adam was alive?

One revolution around the Sun, same as always. Tapdancing does trump celestial mechanics.

[TubbyTubby]

What constitutes a Year, now?

What constituted a year before Gregorian calendar, before the Roman, before the Grecian, before the Hebrew calendar?

What constituted a "year" when Adam was alive?

No idea gorge, if you're suggesting the length of a year was different 6000 years ago then you tell me what it actually was.

[Gawdzilla]

Just the same old dodge, "Anything can be anything when it comes to biblical pretzel logic."

[KevinM1]

Here's one apologist site that claims a biblical year is 360 days long: https://churchages.net/en/study/the-biblical-year/ I make no claim regarding its accuracy, or for really caring all that much.

Regardless, since just about all ancient peoples used a combination of the movement of celestial bodies in conjunction with the cyclical nature of seasons, there's no reason to believe the people who wrote the bible would shorten the length of a year so severely. They likely gave such unrealistic lifespans to these characters in order to reinforce their importance an power.

[Cyberman]

Even supposedly otherwise primitive cultures knew how to regulate time by the motions of the Sun throughout the course of the seasons. The concept of a 360ish day calendar is nothing recent and in fact predates written records.

[Gawdzilla]

Here's one apologist site that claims a biblical year is 360 days long: https://churchages.net/en/study/the-biblical-year/  I make no claim regarding its accuracy, or for really caring all that much.

Regardless, since just about all ancient peoples used a combination of the movement of celestial bodies in conjunction with the cyclical nature of seasons, there's no reason to believe the people who wrote the bible would shorten the length of a year so severely.  They likely gave such unrealistic lifespans to these characters in order to reinforce their importance an power.

Yep, camp fire dick-sizing. Most of them couldn't count and they sure couldn't apply logic to their holy book.

[Drich]

What constitutes a Year, now?

What constituted a year before Gregorian calendar, before the Roman, before the Grecian, before the Hebrew calendar?

What constituted a "year" when Adam was alive?

One revolution around the Sun, same as always. Tapdancing does trump celestial mechanics.

glob...

And how did one measure one rotation around the sun, when it was thought the sun revolved around the earth?

[Minimalist]

So your defense is based on your bible being stupid?

Interesting.

I hope you aren't a lawyer.

[Drich]

What constitutes a Year, now?

What constituted a year before Gregorian calendar, before the Roman, before the Grecian, before the Hebrew calendar?

What constituted a "year" when Adam was alive?

No idea gorge, if you're suggesting the length of a year was different 6000 years ago then you tell me what it actually was.

Before the middle kingdom of Egypt there is only speculation. The Jewish calender did not start till after they became a nation at the end of the middle kingdom. Before then, before the First great Egyptian kingdom Years were based on celestial events (certain positions of constellations) or seasonal/harvest events. (in which case there were only three seasons, Birth/planting, Harvest, and death/the time when nothing grew.) If this were the case and harvest cycles were counted then a drought that could have lasted several years for us would only be counted one year for them. where as a year with lots of rain and good weather till late in the season could be counted several times as it may have yielded several harvests.

Our calendar is based on orbital position. In a time and place where those terms were meaningless the counting of the year was based on food production, or celestial worship. They did not count days because then it was thought the earth was the center and the sun move around it.

The point being a year then was not 365 1/4 days. So to count a year then as you do now makes you a fool.

[Drich]

Just the same old dodge, "Anything can be anything when it comes to biblical pretzel logic."

ah, no.

It's called context sport. how fair is it to take a penny and trade it for a small gold coin the same shape and size?

Is a 1:1 rate of exchange honestly looking at the value of either coin? Would you make this trade (if you had the gold and I had the pennies?) Why not?

Why is it only fair to make the trade when I have the gold?

Why is it fair to make a claim that does not take into consideration the time, the people, the culture in which these stories are taken? Why must a modern take on the english words found in the bible be the only way anyone should read the bible?

What are you afraid of? Why not take an honest look at the culture you are making fun of or trying to discredit? will your argument fall apart make make you look foolish? If so what does that tell you about what you believe?