|
|
|
|
Updated every weekday. Please vote! 
|
2009-11-20
Despite accomplishing absolutely nothing whatsoever, Methuselah is a surprisingly well-known character solely because he lived seven more years than the second-oldest character in the bible.
In the entire book, Methuselah is a totally nobody, mentioned only as part of a lineage in Genesis 5:25-27 and repeated in I Chronicles. However, several non-canon books, like the Book of Enoch, give him a bit more purpose. Apparently, Methuselah was one of the two last remaining men of extreme age (the other being Noah). God didn't want to murder these old folk along with every other living thing on Earth, so he decided to hold off on the flood until Methuselah died of natural (non-murderous deity related) causes. Then, just as the ark was built and filled with animals, Methuselah dies, and the rains begin.
Of course, the date of Methuselah's birth and death differ in almost every source of the bible. The Masoretic Text, two Septuagints, and the Samaritan Pentateuch all have conflicting times. Some have him dying years before the flood, some the year of the flood, and the Vaticanus Septuagint curiously has him living for 14 more years after the flood (oops!).
|
|
Comments
|
Veritas writes:
| Ah, so this is the origin of bingo. This makes far more sense now.
I love these comics so much. They're so interesting, and I learn so much from them. o3o |
|
|
Winterset writes:
| I think you've got your origin stories mixed up there. Bingo was invented by Malaclypse the Elder while pretending to be Jesus's risen spirit in order to try, unsuccessfully, to short-circuit the holy war the apostles were planning over the death of their leader.
At least, that's what RAW said. |
|
|
Uncle Jellyfish writes:
| So THAT'S who I blame for the unfair discounts that seniors get! >.> |
|
|
Ray writes:
| Well, actually I'm pretty sure he didn't invent either of those. So take THAT Methuselah, your only bit of importance is your age!! HA!!!
So, who's the first oldest in the bible? I would guess it's Methuselah since you said, that Methuselah lived longer than the 2nd-oldest, TheAlmightyGuru, but had that been the case wouldn't you have just SAID he was the first oldest??
Also, the Vaticanus Septuagint's interpretation probably would've made news(paper) headlines, had it occured in real life, especially today.
I can just picture it now. "Old man survives 40-Day flood and lives 14 more years!!!"
Of course, if that were the case, considering how old he is, if my logic is correct, he would also get listed as the world's oldest person that lived. |
|
|
Mr-know-it-all writes:
| He IS the longest lived (human) in the bible. That is a general known fact, thus why he didn't say it. Now, if he hadn't died so soon maybe Noah would have finished the second arc and could have saved the Atlantid technology. So thanks! |
|
|
Spectre100 writes:
| He's a sham. Quazar has been here since the beginning and he's still lookin GREAT compared to Methuselah. |
|
Make A Comment
|
|
Oh the irony!
|
|
