Why Did People Live So Long Before the Flood?

Charlie (grade 9) asked,

“Why did people live so long before the flood and why did we stop living so long?”

Great question, Charlie! We think of 80, 90, even over 100 years old as living a long time because that’s what we’re used to. But really, death isn’t a natural thing because God created us to live forever.

We die because Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But we know that Adam lived to be 930 years old, and his sons and grandsons lived about as long as that. Noah, 10 generations after Adam, lived 950 years (Genesis 9:29).

Lifespans used to be much longer, but they quickly shortened after the flood. By the time of Abraham, people were still living longer than today, but not hundreds of years longer. Here a few reasons that could have contributed to shorter lifespans:

1. Only eight people survived the flood, while thousands died. The flood likely resulted in a loss of genetic diversity, which led to shorter lives.
2. The post-flood world was likely very different from the pre-flood world. The new climate, atmospheric conditions, and available resources might have affected human health and lifespan.
3. In the beginning, people ate a vegetarian diet. After the flood, God allowed humans to eat meat (Genesis 9:3). This change in diet could have changed human’s health and longevity.
4. In the post-flood environment, diseases and other health challenges might have increased.

It might disappoint us a little bit that we don’t get to live as long as the people before the flood, but when we trust in Jesus for salvation from our sins, we are promised eternal life. When Jesus returns, we will be resurrected in perfect bodies to live in the perfect new heavens and earth forever!

Do you have a question about God’s Word or his world that you want us to answer? Is there a topic you want to learn more about? Ask your parents to help you submit your question today. Watch for our answer here on the blog or in Kids Answers magazine. We’d love to hear from you!