Why did Adam and Eve live so long? (How long did Adam and Eve live?)

One Saturday, I had a Bible study with my teenagers on a very interesting topic; our short lifespans. We had to start from the lifespan of the first human beings, Adam and Eve. One thing we all were aware of is that they lived for very many years before dying. However, my students needed to be better informed about the reasons for Adam and Eve’s long lifespans, and I had to go deeper into that. So, why did Adam and Eve live so long?

It is suggested that Adam and Eve lived longer because the initial plan was for them to live forever. Therefore, the death punishment is believed to have happened spiritually and took longer to happen physically because it was not part of the plan.

Join me in this article as I write about why Adam and Eve lived so long. I will also write about the lifespan of people who lived 9000 years ago and include the time when God reduced the life span of humans. Read on to find out.

Why Did People in Genesis Live for So Long?

The first reason is that the initial plan was for people to live forever. Until Adam and Eve sinned, death was not part of the plan according to Romans 5:12. It is written in the verse that sin brought death to all. However, Adam and Eve sinned and faced the consequences, so they had to be the first humans to degenerate alongside their descendants, which caused them to live longer.

Another reason is that they had healthy lifestyles with very few diseases. Remember, Adam and Eve fell from perfection, the only humans who experienced perfection. Therefore, there is the possibility that diseases took longer to set in.

Also, they had to live longer so that they could increase the population of the earth. If these people in Genesis had been dying at our current lifespan, then it would have taken quite a long to fill the earth as God instructed man to do.

What was the lifespan of humans 9000 years ago?

Why did Adam and Eve live so long? 
Lifespan of humans 9000 years ago. Image source: Pixabay

It is suggested that 9000 years ago, humans lived for 35-40 years. These years are so much lower than the current lifespan because of the lifestyle of the people during that period. It is suggested that they had no access to quality food, healthcare, and exposure to violence.

How did Adam live for nine hundred and thirty years?

It is suggested that Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years because it took many years for the punishment of death to actualize through fruits and soil and then get to Adam and Eve. Basically, after the disobedience, Adam died spiritually but physically continued to live because the environment around him was full of life and not death. Also, it is believed that there were few to no diseases that could cause death. In addition, their diet during their time was very healthy and kept them strong. Lastly, God sustained him for long years so that the earth’s population kept increasing before starting to reduce through death.

When did God shorten the lifespan?

How long did Adam and Eve live?
When did God shorten the lifespan? Image source: Freepik

It is suggested that God shortened the lifespan of human beings during the period of Kings in the Bible, like King David, Solomon, and other kings. To date, we live a shorter lifespan, as started during the era of King David. It started reducing from 900+ years.

The first people in Genesis and their years; Methuselah lived for 969 years; Noah lived for 950 years; Adam lived for 930 years; Seth lived for 912 years; and Seth’s son lived for 910 years.

After the floods, lifespans were reduced, and the oldest man was Shem, at 600 years. Going forth to Abraham, the years greatly reduced to 175, Isaac 180 years, and Jacob 147 years.

After the four hundred years of slavery, lifespans were between 100-120 years, then down to the era of Kings like David, where lifespans range from 60-80 years.

Is there an age limit to how long we can live?

Many people believe that Genesis 6:3 means that the age limit for human beings is 120 years. Although after this statement, we find people who lived beyond 120 years and some below 120 years, most Christians believe that it is the standard age that humans can currently reach is 120. However, our lifespan is reduced to 70 years in today’s world.

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