The Human Lifespan: Insights from Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

Could there really be an ancient decree governing the maximum lifespan of a human being? Let's dive into the ancient texts and modern science to explore this fascinating question.

As written in the Torah over 3300 years ago, reflecting on an event that occurred nearly 4000 years ago:

"Humanity...

shall have a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years."

(Genesis 6:1-3)

Simply put, it was decreed by Hashem that the human lifespan shall not exceed approximately 120 years.

Let’s ponder this for a moment. Who could have predicted, thousands of years ago, the maximum age humanity could ever attain? Life expectancy has varied throughout history and across regions. In the Middle Ages, it was 25-30 years, during Roman times 43 years, the Bronze Age 33 years, and by the 19th century in Europe, it reached 50 years. Since that decree, humanity has gone through incredible developments in science: medicine, biology, medical technology. What are the odds that millennia ago, a human could even guess, however roughly, the maximum lifespan humanity would reach?

Here are the scientific findings. Brace yourself - it’s astounding.

1. Documented Maximum Human Lifespans

Here's a list of the world's oldest documented individuals, from youngest to oldest:

Christian Mortensen, USA, 1882-1994. Died at age 112

Maggie Pauline Barnes, USA 1882-1998. Died at age 116

Besse Cooper, USA. 1896-2012. Died at age 116

Elizabeth Bolden, USA. 1890-2006. Died at age 116

Tane Ikai, Japan. 1879-1995. Died at age 116

Maria Capovilla, South America. 1889-2006. Died at age 117

Marie-Louise Meilleur, Canada. 1880-1998. Died at age 118

Lucy Hannah, USA. 1875-1993. Died at age 118

Sarah Knauss, USA. 1880-1999. Died at age 119

Jeanne Louise Calment, France. 1875-1997. Died at age 122 (some claim it's a hoax)

Amazing, isn't it?

Wait, there's more.

2. What Does Science Say — The Maximum Possible Human Lifespan

Numerous studies indicate that human lifespan is significantly limited (!). That is, there's a barrier humanity as a whole will never surpass, no matter the advances in medicine and science.

Here are the results of various scientific studies addressing this topic:

Incredible! All the studies circle around the 120-year mark. What are the odds that a human, thousands of years ago, would 'guess' this information? Unless...

It wasn't a human. It was the Creator of the World:

"Humanity...

shall have a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years."

(Genesis 6:1-3)

Note:

The Torah explicitly records, following this decree, individuals who lived beyond 120 years (refer to Parashat Noach, as well as the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who lived thereafter). Yet, it’s notable that post the decree, human lifespan continued to decline, stabilizing around 120 years. Interestingly, Moses, chosen by Hashem to lead the Israelites during the giving of the Torah, lived precisely 120 years.

The text is from the book "Integrated Worlds". Download and read the chapter in PDF format here.

The author holds a B.Sc in Physics, graduating with honors from the Technion.