Longevity myths: Difference between revisions

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			<!--References to a 2005 essay by Robert Young (see talk) are flagged as original research with invisible reference to the page numbers in Young's 2008 thesis where this essay was republished. Tags immediately after section headings refer to the headings.-->
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	:''For validated claims, see ]; for partially-validated and unvalidated claims under 130, see ].''
	'''Longevity myths''' are cultural narratives that speak of exceptional, improbable or impossible ], with or without eternal youth. These stories include age exaggeration of various kinds. They include the ] myth, the "village elder" narrative, the story of ], the Nationalist tale, etc. Each category of myth is based on a different motivation for age exaggeration.

			{{otheruses4\|generic categories of reasons or rationales for claims to longevity beyond the scientifically possible\|fully validated specific claims over 113\|list of supercentenarians\|incompletely validated specific claims within the "grey area" of possiblity (113-130)\|longevity claims}}
	The legendary Fountain of Youth is based upon a fantasy of living a very long time by taking potions, or finding some other secret that results in longevity combined with a youthful healthiness. The "village elder" narrative is often based upon a pre-literate societal respect for aging, patriarchy, etc., which leads to a venerating age exaggeration of the oldest male (or sometimes female) in the village. The ] myth is the idea that a certain remote mountain area may contain an entire village of long-lived (or eternally lived) people (such as ] or ]). The "Nationalist longevity myth" is an age exaggeration story motivated by nationalist pride (such as ] proclaiming special longevity in Soviet ], because he was born in that country.)

			'''Longevity myths''' are cultural traditions and lore about exceptional, improbable, or impossible human ], with or without ]. These stories include sincere beliefs of claims of extreme age as well as sincerely and insincerely exaggerated claims of extreme age. Each category of belief is based on a different motivation for claiming exceptional age.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=summary}}
	There are, of course, other stories and reasons for age exaggeration. Some are personal (the ] story of longevity); that is, a person claims to be a great age to attract attention to oneself and/or to obtain money (such as ], promoted in the 19th century by P. T. Barnum, she was claimed to be a 161-year-old woman, but she turned out to be only 80).

			==Patriarchs==
	==Patriarchal longevity myth==
	Stories of exaggerated longevity have been around since the earliest civilizations. The first longevity ~~narratives~~ were probably the patriarchal/matriarchal claims, which are often an attempt to link humans to the gods or to ]. In many cases, the ages of ancestors were exaggerated, in order to extend a genealogy further back into the past. ~~Such~~ ~~extreme~~ ~~exaggerations~~ ~~were~~ ~~used in ]; ages claimed corresponded~~ to ~~calendar~~ ~~cycles~~ ~~and~~ ~~special~~ ~~dates. One ancient Sumerian genealogy contains three kings who are recorded as having reigned 72~~,~~000~~ ~~years~~ ~~each.~~ ~~<ref>Zondervan~~ ~~NIV~~ ~~Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5~~. ~~2002.</ref>~~		{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34}} Stories of exaggerated longevity have been around since the earliest civilizations.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34}} The first longevity myths were probably the patriarchal/matriarchal claims, which are often an attempt to link humans to the gods or to ] due to fuller life.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34, 36}} In many cases, the ages of ancestors were exaggerated, in order to extend a genealogy further back into the past{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34}} and bring it closer to the creation of the world, or the dawn of time.

			The early ], ] and other Biblical personalities, and other characters in folklore are given extreme ages that exhibit a decrease over time.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=36}} Demographic study of modern human ] gives odds of trillions to one against humans today reaching 130.{{Fact\|date=May 2009}} Both scientific studies and longevity myths indicate that the nature of human ] was significantly different in the ancient past:{{Weasel-inline\|date=May 2009}} scientific studies claim human ] has increased overall since the ] but do not rule out much older human lifeforms, while longevity myths imply that life expectancy has decreased within the historical period.{{Fact\|date=May 2009}}
	A later and reduced form was used in ], which inflated the ages of emperors, in an attempt to date Japanese history to 660 BC (see ]).

			===Sumerian===
	The early ] are given extreme ages that are highest toward the beginning, with ] reaching the age of 930, and ] reaching 969 (Genesis 5). Some writers have attempted to explain these extreme ages as ancient mistranslations, which converted the word "month" to "year". If this were true, it would turn the claimed 969 "years" of Methuselah into 969 months, or a more reasonable 80 years.<ref>"Making Sense of the Numbers of Genesis", Carol A. Hill, ''Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith'', volume 55, 4 December 2003, p. 239.</ref> However, this theory, if applied to other verses, would make Kenan and Mahalalel only 5 years old when they fathered their sons. Other writers have suggested that "years" was translated correctly, but the numbers were an ancient mistranslation.<ref>''Noah's Ark and the Ziusudra Epic'', chapter 7, R. M. Best, 1999.</ref> Other Biblical scholars believe that some of the numbers have a symbolic meaning: Enoch is said to have 365 years which, being the number of days in a year, would indicate his having lived "a full life". Still others point out that there are only 10 names in this genealogical list, so that the list may contain generational gaps, which are covered by the lengthy lifetimes attributed to the patriarchs. <ref>Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5. 2002.</ref>
			Extreme ages were typical in ]ian genealogies; age claims were often rounded to the nearest 3,600 years.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34}} Documenting groups of people who had lived for hundreds of years was common in Sumer as well as the ].
			*Three kings are recorded as having reigned 72,000 years each.<ref>Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5. 2002.</ref>
			*The ] assigns 43,200 years to the reign of ], and 36,000 years each to those of ] and ].
			{{Sumerian King List}}

			{{Biblical longevity}}
	Biblical ] that assert a literal translation of the Bible believe that the advanced ages of the early Patriarchs were due to two things: firstly, as sin was introduced into the world by Adam and Eve its influence becomes greater with each generation resulting in a reduction of one's lifespan.<ref>"The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible", John J. Pilch, Liturgical Press, 1999, p. 144-146</ref> Second, before the flood there was a "firmament" over the earth (Genesis 1:6-8) that could have greatly contributed to man's advanced age.<ref>"The Waters Above the Firmament: Or The Earth's Annular System", Isaac Newton Vail, Ferris and Leach, 1902, p. 97.</ref>
			===Biblical===
			The Biblical upper limit of longevity has been categorized by ] as having four successive plateaus of 1,000, 500, 250, and finally 120 years.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Life-Study of Genesis\|author=]\|volume=II\|year=1987\|pages=227, 287, 361, 481}}</ref> Biblical figures may have exceeded these plateaus occasionally (such as in the ]); in recent history, so did ] of ], who was 122 in 1997 and was the only modern person documented beyond scientific doubt to have exceeded 120 years.

			In the narrative of ], God states that humans would not be permitted to live more than 120 years ({{bibleverse\|\|Genesis\|6:3}}). This was originally taken as designating the fourth upper limit.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=37}} Reformers ] and ] first promoted the alternative explanation that 120 years referred to the amount of time left before the flood.
	The ] author ] is the presumed author of ''Macrobii'' (long-livers), which is devoted to longevity. He gives some mythical examples like that of ], who allegedly lived three centuries, or ], the blind seer of ], who was claimed to be alive for 600 years. But most of the examples Lucien gives are what would be regarded as normal long lifespans (80-100 years). He also wrote about the ''Seres'' (] people), who he claimed live for 300 years.

			With the advent of modern accountable record-keeping,{{Fact\|date=April 2009}} age claims fell to modern levels sometime after the death of ].{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=37}} The lifespans of kings from the eleventh to sixth centuries B.C. range normally from 30s to 70s,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=37}} and people claimed as "old" after Moses have modern lifespans, such as ] (98), ] (84+), and ] (80+).
	===From longevity===
			] (c. 1515-1592), Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten, ]-], c. 1574. Noah was traditionally aged 601 at the time.]]
	{{Cleanup\|section\|date=March 2009}}
			*], the oldest patriarch, had the age of 969 ({{bibleref\|Genesis\|5:27}}), or 720 in the ]. His name having been interpreted as "when he dies, it will be sent", with his year of death being the year of the flood, is taken as having prophetic character.
			*], with the age of 950, is the oldest patriarch in the Samaritan Pentateuch.
			*], the first man, was assigned the age of 930. ]s take this as representing a perfected life of 1,000 years, but cut short by 70 years,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=37}} which is then given as the average longevity of man.
			*], in a textual variation, appears in the ] Greek version of the second patriarch list, and in the ] ], but not in the ] Hebrew text.
			*] had the age of 365 and was then reportedly taken bodily into heaven. This being the number of days in a year is interpreted by allegorists as indicating his having lived "a full life".

			;Interpretations
	The ] contains many accounts of long-lived humans, the oldest being ] living to be 969 years old ({{bibleref\|Genesis\|5:27}}). There is a theory that the unusually high longevity of Biblical patriarchs are the result of an error in translation: lunar cycles were mistaken for the solar ones, and that the actual ages being described would have been 12.4 times less (a lunar cycle being 29.5 days). This makes Methuselah's age only 78. This rationalization, however, seems doubtful too since patriarchs such as Mahalalel ({{bibleref\|Genesis\|5:15}}) and Enoch ({{bibleref\|Genesis\|5:21}}) were said to have become fathers after 65 "years". If the lunar cycle claim were accepted this would translate to an age of about 5 years and 3 months.
			Biblical ] that assert literal translation give explanations for the advanced ages of the early patriarchs. In this view, first, man was originally to have everlasting life, but as ] was introduced into the world by ] and ], its influence became greater with each generation and ] progressively shortened man's life; "four falls of mankind" (according to ]) correspond to four observable plateaus in longevity upper limits.<ref>"The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible", John J. Pilch, Liturgical Press, 1999, p. 144-146</ref> Second, before ], a "firmament" over the earth ({{bibleverse\|\|Genesis\|1:6-8}}) could have greatly contributed to man's advanced age.<ref>"The Waters Above the Firmament: Or The Earth's Annular System", Isaac Newton Vail, Ferris and Leach, 1902, p. 97.</ref> Third, biological ] damage may cause genetically accelerated ]; experimentation with lengthening ]s on worms has yielded increased worm life spans by about 20%<ref>Joeng et al., 2004.</ref> and this may slow aging at the cost of increasing ] vulnerability.<ref>Weinstein and Ciszek, 2002.</ref>

			Some ]s explain these extreme ages as ancient mistranslations that converted the word "month" to "year", mistaking lunar cycles for solar ones. This would turn an age of 969 "years" into a more reasonable 969 lunar months,<ref>"Making Sense of the Numbers of Genesis", Carol A. Hill, ''Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith'', volume 55, 4 December 2003, p. 239.</ref> or 78½ years of the ]; but for consistency, the ages of the first nine patriarchs at fatherhood, ranging from 62 to 230 years in the manuscripts, would then be transformed doubtfully into the range of 5 to 18½ years.<ref>{{cite book\|author=]\|title=The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings\|page=159\|date=1976\|publisher=]\|location=]\|quote=Such an interpretation would have made Enoch only five years old when his son was born!}}</ref>
	One claim of some fundamentalist sects{{Who\|date=October 2007}} is that the life span of humans has changed; that originally man was to have everlasting life, but due to man's ], ] progressively shortened man's life in the "four falls of mankind" — first to less than 1000 years, then to under 500, 200, and eventually 120 years. After those long living people died around the time of the Biblical Flood, God decided that humans would not be permitted to live more than 120 years ({{bibleref\|Genesis\|6:3}}) However, since later biblical figures (and more recent people) such as Sarah lived for longer than that, 120 years should be considered the "usual" upper limit to man's lifespan. Some individuals can live slightly longer than that.

			Other literary critics suggested that "years" was translated correctly but the numbers were mistranslated.<ref>''Noah's Ark and the Ziusudra Epic'', chapter 7, R. M. Best, 1999.</ref>
	It has been hypothesized {{Who\|date=October 2007}} that there is a trade-off between cancerous tumor suppression and tissue repair capacity, and that by lengthening telomeres we might slow aging and in exchange increase vulnerability to cancer (Weinstein and Ciszek, 2002). Experimentation with telomeres on worms has yielded increased worm life spans by about 20% (Joeng et al., 2004).
	Even if further study shows that telomeres specifically are not tied to aging, the concept that some sort of DNA damage can cause genetically accelerated aging cannot be abandoned, thus providing a rational explanation for longevity and a subsequent reduction of longevity post-flood.

			Others believe that some of the numbers have a symbolic meaning, such as 930 (1,000 less 70), and 365 (the days in a year).{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=37}}
	Many cultures like the Sumerians and Indus Valley also document groups of people who have lived for hundreds of years.

			Still others say that the first list, of only 10 names for 1,656 years, may contain generational gaps, which would have been represented by the lengthy lifetimes attributed to the patriarchs.<ref>Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5. 2002.</ref>
	Furthermore, starting with reformers ] and ], an alternative explanation has arisen: 120 years would not refer to man's lifespan but to the amount of time left before the flood.

			===Japanese===
	A more commonly accepted explanation {{Who\|date=October 2007}} is that such stories are longevity myths; age exaggeration tends to be greater in "mythical" periods in many cultures; the early emperors of Japan or China often ruled for more than a century, according to tradition. With the advent of modern accountable record-keeping, age claims fell to realistic levels. Even later in the Bible ] died at 70 years; other kings in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
			].]]
			Age exaggeration tends to be greater in the earliest, least documented periods in many cultures.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=35}} The early emperors of ] often ruled for more than a century, according to tradition.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=35}}

			This form of reduced patriarchal or nationalist longevity myth inflated the ages of emperors, resulting in the traditional dating of Japanese history to 660 BC.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=34-35}}
	==Village elder myth==
			*] (traditionally, 13 February 711 BCE – 11 March 585 BCE) lived 126 years, 27 days, on the proleptic Julian and Gregorian calendars, but the form of his name dates from some centuries later than his traditional lifespan.
	The second longevity narrative, that of the village elder, is probably a reduced version of patriarchal myth. According to these myths, it is generally assumed that persons today cannot attain the ages of the ancients, but nonetheless one's village elder should be honored.

			===Chinese===
	This kind of story originally centered on a tribal chieftain, but in places where local power was distributed, elderly women began to be substituted. The village elder represented a source of pride, ] and a person to commemorate. The ages claimed tended to be limited by one's ability to believe them. Most claims of this type have been for ages of less than 200 years old, with ages of 140, 150 and 160 seemingly representing the cusp of believability for the locals. In times when written records came into existence for the upper class (i.e. ]), reports from the countryside continued the same pattern of overestimation of age.
			The early emperors of ] often ruled for more than a century, according to tradition.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=35}}<!--This appears a corruption of the Japanese sentence above.--> ] also wrote about the "Seres" (a ] people), claiming they lived for 300 years.
	These popular tales continue to exist even today in places such as ].

			===Korean===
	==Fountain of Youth myth==
			*] (47? – 165) is generally accepted as having reigned in Korea for 93 years beginning at age 7. After his retirement, the ''Samguk Sagi'' and ''Samguk Yusa'' give his age at death as 118.

			==Religious==
			{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=43}} In some religious traditions there are claims that, if one follows a certain philosophy or practice, one can become ] or at least live to an extreme age.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=43}} Some ] claimed to have lived to over 200 years; these claims were related to Taoist practice.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=43}} Swami Bua claims to be a different age each time he is interviewed, but generally claims to have been born around 1889 (age approximately 120).{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}}

			Lacking actual evidence, such claims seem intended merely to imply meditation leads to extreme longevity.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}} Scientific evidence shows some life expectancy benefit from meditation, spiritualism, and faith, but measurable longevity tends to fall within the normal span;{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}} science also shows that human life expectancy has increased lately, but there are no studies proving this general increase is linked to religion, philosophy, practice, meditation, etc.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}}
			*], patron saint of ] in ], died shortly after 600 at the alleged age of 185. Today his age is given as 85 rather than 185.
			*], ] in ], was consecrated at the alleged age of 297, and is said to have lived for 375 years. This claim is based on attributing him as present during the life of Christ.
			*], a Coptic saint, is said to have lived 348-466 AD, reaching 118 years.

			==Alchemists==
	{{main\|Fountain of Youth}}		{{main\|Fountain of Youth}}
			Fountain of Youth myths describe some natural source, potion, or other secret that provides healing and particularly longevity and youthful health (]).{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=summary}} The Fountain of Youth reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Unlike stories rooted in patriarchal, ancient, and communal beliefs, Fountain of Youth myths are anchored in individual wishes for longer and healthier lives.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}}
	The more recent Fountain of Youth myth seems to have evolved differently. Many people in Europe feared death (especially after the ravages of the ], which began in the 1340s), and sought ways to extend their own life span. Unlike the previous tales, which were rooted in patriarchal, ancient and communal beliefs, the Fountain of Youth narrative is anchored in an individual's wishes for a longer and healthier life, and dates from medieval and ] times. The idea that humans could transform their own substance (using techniques such as ]), became popular during the 15th and 16th centuries. Consequently, ] ]s, already searching for fabulous cities of gold, added the idea of finding the "Fountain of Youth". ] explored ] in 1513, in hopes of finding such a magical source.

			The ], following older Jewish tradition, attributes healing to the ] when the waters are "stirred" by an angel. ] attributes exceptional longevity to a fountain in the land of the Ethiopians. The lore of the '']'' and of ] describes such a fountain, and stories about the ], ]s, and the ] are widespread.
	This need was exploited by ]s and ] salesmen who tried to sell potions for longevity. They would search out a very old person, and then claim that person as an example of successful use of the potion. The idea continues today, in reduced form, but was still very prevalent in the 1970s, when claims of extreme longevity for yoghurt eaters in the ] led to the use of some of these people in ] ] advertising. Recently, this myth was invoked to explain ]'s longevity.<ref></ref>

			The more recent Fountain of Youth tradition traces from medieval and ] times, and seems to follow popular fears after the ], which began in the 1340s.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}} The idea that humans could transform their own substance using techniques such as ] became popular during the 15th and 16th centuries.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}} Consequently, ] ]s, already searching for storied cities of gold, added the idea of finding a "Fountain of Youth".{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}} ] explored ] in 1513 in hopes of finding such a supernatural source.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}}
	==Shangri-La longevity myth==
	{{main\|Shangri-La}}

			The desire to avoid death was exploited by ]s and ] salesmen who sold potions that promised longevity.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} It was common to locate a very old person and then to claim that person as an example of successful use of the potion.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}}
	An extension and adaptation of the Fountain of Youth myth is the idea that a particular place, rather than a substance, carries what is needed to attain extreme age; a person seeking extreme longevity needs to move to a special district, a "Shangri-La." This story differs from the Fountain of Youth in that it focuses on an entire village or mountain region (see beforementioned regions of Caucasus and Vilcabamba, plus ] and ]). Thus, the Caucasus did not merely claim to have a 168-year-old, but to have hundreds of people aged 120+. Instead of one village elder, the entire village is a "village of centenarians." In some cases, apparent age "heaping" showed how unreliable the age claims were: in places like the Hunza Valley, the oldest ages reported often ended in 0 or 5 (140, 135, 130, 125, 120){{Fact\|date=July 2008}}, indicating the age was a guess, not a real measurement.

			In August 2006, popular American magician ] promoted waters he had discovered at what he called a true Fountain of Youth, amid a cluster of four small islands in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas, which he had purchased for roughly $50 million.
	In Roman times, ] wrote about longevity records from the ] carried out in 74 A.D. under ]. In one region of ] many people lived past 100. Four were 130, others were even older. Ascribing unique longevity to a particular 'village of centenarians' is common across many cultures; Japan had such myths until written records eventually did away with them.

			==Village elders==
	==Nationalist longevity myth==
			{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}} The village elder myth reflects a preliterate societal respect for aging, patriarchy, etc., that leads to exceptional age claims intended to venerate the oldest person in the village.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=summary}}
	An outgrowth of the Shangri-La idea is the "nationalist longevity" narrative. This idea was rooted in the rise of nationalism in the 20th century. As people's ideas became focused on their nation versus another, extreme age claims became a source of national pride. In the U.S., in the ], 106,000 people claimed to be 100 years old or older (some 130+) as the U.S. sought to counter ] claims that the Soviet communist "lifestyle" resulted in extreme longevity. The Soviets merely borrowed the localist traditions of the Caucasus, and adapted them to a ] ]. The U.S. did not go as far, but to stem the tide, even publications such as ] in 1967 featured Sylvester Magee, allegedly 126, and Charlie Smith, allegedly 125. Both of these claims may have been put forth by publicity-seeking individuals, but the national media chose to elevate these unsubstantiated claims in the context of ideology (not surprisingly, they were a counterfoil to the USSR claim that ] was in his 160s).

			This is probably a reduced version of the patriarchal myth, which attributes longevity to a former era.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}} Village elder stories suggest an understanding that persons in the immediate era do not generally attain the ages of the ancients, but that an exceptional claim on behalf of one village elder is culturally appropriate.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}}
	Longevity narratives fell somewhat out of vogue in the late 1970s, when both US and USSR experts came forward to debunk both sides. However, in ], local nationalism still fueled unverified claims quite recently, such that the world's oldest man was claimed to be ]. Still within the context of ] but perhaps motivated more by nationalism, claims such as ]'s of ] (a claim used to counter ]'s ] as the world's oldest person at the time).

			The stories originally centered on the tribal chieftain, but in locations of distributed societal power, an elderly woman began to be substituted as the central figure.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}} The village elder represented a source of pride and of ], and a person to commemorate.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}} Often the elder claims a link to a famous historical figure or era, to give an authority to oral tradition that is entirely similar to that of ].
	==Religious/spiritual myths of longevity==
	In some religious traditions there are claims that if one follows a certain philosophy or practice, a person can become ] or at least live to an extreme age (some ] claimed to have lived to over 200 years; these were related to practice, not genealogy, as is the case of ](李青云, Li Qing Yun)).

			The ages claimed tend to be limited by credibility.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38}} Most such claims are for ages of less than 200 years old, with the majority in the range of 140 to 160.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=38-39}} These popular tales continue to exist even today in places such as ].{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39}}
	] claims to be a different age each time he is interviewed, but generally claims to have been born around 1889. Offering no actual evidence, the message seems to be that meditation leads to extreme longevity. While scientific evidence does show some benefit from meditation, spiritualism and faith, measurable longevity tends to fall within the normal span, and there is no evidence that religion, philosophy, practice, meditation, etc. has actually extended the human life span.

			;Rome
	One story from ] is that of ] (patron saint of ]), who died shortly after 600 at the alleged age of 185. Today his age is given as 85 rather than 185. In ], ], ], was consecrated at the alleged age of 297, and is said to have lived for 375 years.
			], the probable source of a very early investigation of longevity.]]
			While Rome was a literate society for the upper class, many of the poorer and remote regions of the empire were not. Even in times when written records came into existence for the upper class in ], reports from the countryside continued the same pattern of overestimation of age.
			The ] author ] is the presumed author of ''Macrobii'' (long-livers), a work devoted to longevity. Most of the examples Lucian gives are what would be regarded as normal long lifespans (80-100 years); but Lucian adds that
			*], the blind seer of ], was alive for 600 years.
			*] lived three centuries.

	~~Similarly~~ ], a ~~Coptic~~ ~~saint,~~ is said to have lived ~~348-466 AD~~, ~~reaching~~ ~~118~~ years.		] of Crete (7th, 6th centuries B.C.) is said to have lived 154, 157 or 290 years.

			==Nationalists==
	==Other longevity myths==
	Other longevity myths include ones that are race based or family based. Some people believe that a certain race (theirs) tends to live longer than others, despite no scientific evidence. On a smaller scale, many families tend to believe that their own family members live a very long time. The further back in the past the story goes, the easier it is to insert a family member aged 108, 111, 120, etc., usually with no supporting evidence.

			{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} An extension and adaptation of the fountain of youth concept is the idea that a particular place, rather than a substance, carries what is needed to attain extreme age,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} and that a person seeking extreme longevity needs to move to a special district{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} (one example is ]). This story differs from the Fountain of Youth in that it focuses on an entire village, a mountain region, or a particular nation or national treasure.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} Such a location can also be called a ],{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} named after a mountain area in 20th-century fiction that contained an entire village of long-lived (or eternally lived) people.
	Many people in the 1950s falsely claimed to be ] veterans, in a narrative of Southern longevity. ] claimed to be 117 in 1959; in 1973 a woman claimed to be a Confederate widow at 117. Research in 1959 indicated that Williams was really 105, not 117, years old.

			Ascribing unique longevity to a particular "village of centenarians" is common across many cultures.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} Nationalist pride often contributes to motivate such tradition.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=summary}} The nationalist outgrowth idea became widespread in the rise of nationalism in the 20th century.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} As popular ideas became focused on one nation versus another, extreme age claims became a source of national pride.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} Many populations have reputations of producing unusual number of individuals with exceptionally high ages.<ref>Long lived populations: Extreme old age. J Am Geriatr Soc 30:485-87</ref><ref>"The Anti-Aging Plan: Strategies and Recipes for Extending Your Healthy Years" by Roy Walford (page 27)</ref>
	] died in 1759 in ] (]) at the alleged age of 121.

			Other longevity myths are race-based or family-based, proposing unproven beliefs that a certain race or tribe tends to live longer than others.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}} Many people tend naturally to believe that their own family members live a very long time.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}}
	==Current status==
	As the ] states in numerous editions from the 1960s to the 1980s, ''"No single subject is more obscured by vanity, deceit, falsehood, and deliberate fraud than the extremes of human longevity."'' At the time, Guinness had never acknowledged anyone as having reached the age of 114, but verifiable records have become more common recently. The first three people to be acknowledged by Guinness as reaching 114 have all had their claims disputed. The first two people Guinness accepted as reaching 113, both of whom were male, have now been discredited. It has since been determined that some 90% of persons who have reached the age of 113 have been female. See ].

			;America
	Even {{As of\|2008\|lc=on}}, with recordholder ] having died at the undisputed age of 122, the following is true:
			Many people in the 1950s falsely claimed to be ] veterans, in a myth of Southern longevity;{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=45}} in 1973 a woman claimed to be a Confederate widow at 117.
	*Only approximately seventy people in human history have been documented as reaching the age of 114.
	*Only about twenty-five people reached the age of 115.
	*Of the ten people regarded by the Guinness Book or significant scholars to have reached 116 three are subject to substantial doubt.
	*Calment is the only person with absolutely undisputed evidence to have lived to be over 120.

			In another wave of American longevity claims, Americans were faced with 1960s ] claims that the Soviet communist "lifestyle" resulted in extreme longevity,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} and that ] was in his 160s.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}} The ] listed 106,000 people claiming to be 100 years old or older, some over 130.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} Longevity myths fell somewhat out of vogue in the later 1970s, when both American and Soviet experts came forward to debunk both sides.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}}
	Yet despite these facts, stories still surface claiming that these extremes have been exceeded. A '']'' article in 1973 treated with respect some claims that have subsequently been disproven, including the notorious Vilcabamba valley in ], where locals claimed ancestors' baptismal records as their own. That article also reported a very aged people, the ] in a mountain region of ], without any documentary evidence being cited.
			*] claimed to be a Confederate soldier aged 117 in 1959; research that year by '']'' reporter Lowell K. Bridwell indicated that Williams was then really 105.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=45-46}}
			*Sylvester Magee, allegedly 126, and ], allegedly 125, were featured by '']'' in 1967.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41-42}} Both claims may have been put forth by publicity-seeking individuals, while the national media chose to elevate these unsubstantiated claims in the context of ] ideology.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}} Smith claimed an 1842 birth and died in 1979, but his marriage certificate indicated he lived only to 105, and the 1900 census indicated he lived only to 100.

			;Brazil
	It is typical that extreme longevity claims come from remote areas where recordkeeping is poor. However, generally speaking, the ] is rather lower in these areas than in the areas where undisputed claims are typically found. The Caribbean nation of ] was lately promoting the allegedly 128-year-old ] (1875?-2003), but Dominica has a smaller population and a lower life expectancy than ], where documentation is very good and life expectancy is very high, and yet the longevity record in Iceland is a mere 109.
			RankBrasil, a ]ian competitor of ''Guinness'', has made several unsubstantiated claims.
			*Maria do Carmo Geronimo (5 March 1871? - 14 July 2000), 129 years, 101 days.
			*] (28 February 1880? - ), {{age in years and days\|1880\|2\|28}}.
			*Ana Martinha da Silva (27 August 1880? - 27 July 2004), 123 years, 337 days.
			*Rosalina Francisca da Silva (6 August 1886? - ), {{age in years and days\|1886\|8\|6}}.
			*Joana Ribeiro da Silva (25 May 1888? - ), {{age in years and days\|1888\|5\|25}}.

			;China
	The Caucasus mountain region of ] was the subject of extreme claims for decades, inspired by the desire of ] to believe that he would live a very long time, the most extreme claim there being that of ] (1805?-1973).
			], photographed in 1927 at the residence of General Yang Sen.]]
			*Chen Jun (陈俊) was said to have lived for 443 years in Yongtai county, Fujian province.
			*A wire story erroneously announced in 1933 that China's ] (李青云, Li Qing Yun), born in 1680, had died at age 256, attributing longevity to his genealogy. (If the dates were correct, Li would have been 252 or 253; Li himself claimed to be born in 1734, age 199.)
			*Still within the context of ] but perhaps motivated more by nationalism,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}} ] of the ] (22 April 1886? – 11 December 2006) was attributed a lifespan of 120 years, 233 days, perhaps to counter the relatively verified supercentenary claims of ]'s ].{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}}

			;Cuba
	In ], ], ], ] claimed that he was born in 1878, 1872 and 1869. Actually, his age is unknown, because he does not have a birth certificate. However, according to a state issued pension book that he claimed was his (even though it is issued in a different name, Rahim Khan), it says that Rahim Khan was born on 20 May 1878. However, independent researchers have not been able to verify Miyan's age.
			In ], local nationalism fueled unverified claims quite recently, such that the world's oldest man was claimed to be ].{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=42}} Recently, the fountain of youth myth was also invoked to explain ]'s longevity.<ref></ref>

			;Ecuador
	In 2003, health officials in ] declared that Zabani Khakimova was at least 124 years old, but her age was never authenticated; she died in 2003. In 2004, The Moscow (]) Times reported on Pasikhat Dzhukalayeva, also of Chechnya, who claims to have been born in 1881. But, as with Mrs. Khakimova, Mrs. Dzhukalayeva's age has not been authenticated.
			A '']'' article in 1973 treated with respect some claims that have subsequently been disproven, including the high mountain valley of ], where locals had claimed ancestors' baptismal records as their own.<ref name=ng>Alexander Leaf, (Jan. 1973). "Search for the Oldest People". National Geographic, pp. 93-118.</ref>

			].]]
	] has made several unsubstantiated claims, starting with Maria do Carmo Geronimo (1871?-2000). On 3 March 2005, the ] reported that ], who claims to have been born on 28 February 1880, had been recognized by RankBrasil as the oldest-living woman in the country. Guinness has been unable to verify her date of birth. RankBrasil, a competitor of Guinness, had previously promoted the claim of Ana Martins da Silva (1880?-2004) and that her records were sent to Guinness<ref>http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_555946.html</ref>, but the claim was never validated.
			;England
			].]]
			English claims in prior centuries include:
			*Thomas Carn (1381?-1588?), allegedly 207.
			*Henry Jenkins, allegedly 169, apparently concocted{{Fact\|date=May 2009}} to support testimony in a court case about events a century before.
			*] (1483?-1635), allegedly 152. According to P. Lüth, the results of Parr's autopsy by ] suggest that Parr was probably under 70 years of age.<ref>P. Lüth “Geschichte der Geriatrie” (1965), S. 153 + 154</ref> It is possible that Parr's records were confused with those of his grandfather.<ref> NNDb.com Retrieved on: ] ]</ref>
			*] (1464?-1604), allegedly 140, with significant evidence of being at least centenarian.

			;Italy
	An earlier claim from ] was for Javier Pereira (said to have been determined to be 167 years old by a dentist looking at his teeth). There have likewise been a scattering of extreme claims from Africa, the most recent being ]'s Anna Visser, who died in January 2004 at an alleged 125 or 126, and ] of ], who was said to be 130 when she voted in the April 2004 election.
			In Roman times, ] wrote about longevity records from the ] carried out in 74 AD under ]. In one region of ] many people allegedly lived past 100; four were said to be 130, others even older.

			;Japan
	An extreme claim in the 20th century was a wire story announcing in 1933 that China's Li Ching-Yuen, born in 1680, had died at age 256 (if it were true, he actually would have been 252 or 253). Prior to that another extreme claim was a man called Chen Jun(陈俊）who had lived for 443 years in Yongtai county,Fujian province.
			The ] has some reputation of linkage to exceptionally high ages.<ref></ref>

			;Pakistan
	In prior centuries there have been other claims, one of the best-known being ], introduced to ] in 1635 with the claim that he was 152 years old, who promptly died and was buried in ]. Greater English claims include those of the allegedly 169-year-old Henry Jenkins (apparently concocted to support testimony in a court case about events a century before) and the supposedly 207-year-old Thomas Carn (died in 1588 by most reports). ], amongst others, claimed that the ] countess, ], lived to the age of 140 years (and allegedly died by falling from a tree as she picked cherries for breakfast).
			The 1973 ''National Geographic'' article on longevity also reported, as a very aged people, the ] or ] in the ] of the mountains of ], without any documentary evidence being cited.<ref name=ng/> Apparent age "heaping" suggested unreliability, because significantly often, the oldest ages ended in 0 or 5,{{Fact\|date=July 2008}} indicating the ages were guesses, not real measurements.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=39, 41}}

			;Soviet
	Longevity narratives did not come in for serious scrutiny until the work of W.J. Thoms in 1873, and the odd wire correspondent looking for a captivating filler reports extreme undocumented claims to this day: in early 2000, a ]ese man claimed to have been born in 1832, citing as evidence a card issued in 1988. In December 2003, a Chinese news service claimed incorrectly that Guinness had recognized a woman in ] as being 131.
			The Caucasus mountain region of ] did not merely claim to have a 168-year-old; it also claimed hundreds of people aged over 120.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} Instead of one village elder, the entire village had become a "village of centenarians."{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} ] is also an example.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}}

			The Caucasus was the subject of extreme claims for decades,{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=41}} inspired by ]'s desire to believe that he would live a very long time. The fountain of youth concept was invoked by ], which featured elderly ] eaters of the ] in its advertising.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=40}} Longevity myths fell somewhat out of vogue in the later 1970s, when both American and Soviet experts came forward to debunk both sides.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=44}}
	Responsible validation of longevity claims involves investigation of records following the claimant from birth to the present, and claims far outside the demonstrated records regularly fail such scrutiny. The ] ] has public death records of over 100 people said to have died in their 160s to 190s.
			*] (26 March 1805? – 4 September 1973) was allegedly aged 168 years, 162 days, based solely on a passport. ''National Geographic'' carried but recanted the claim.<ref name=ng/>
			*In 2003, health officials in ] declared that Zabani Khakimova was at least 124 years old; she died later in 2003.
			*In 2004, The Moscow (]) Times reported that 122-year-old Pasikhat Dzhukalayeva, also of Chechnya, claimed to have been born in 1881, without a birthdate.

			==Exhibitors==
	==Examples of longevity myths: individual cases==
			In the "]" ], one claims to be a great age to attract attention to oneself and/or to obtain money.{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=summary}} Barnum himself exhibited ] as 161;{{fact\|date=May 2009\|page=54}} her autopsy indicated she was under 80. The exhibitionist tradition was carried on by ], who regularly reported supercentenarian claims in ], usually citing his own reputation as a fact-checker to claim reliability. Ripley reported that:
			*Yaupa (1769?-1899) of ] continued to work his farm at the age of 130.<ref>{{cite book\|title=] 15th Series\|publisher=]\|location=]\|date=September 1969\|author=Ripley Enterprises, Inc.\|page=112\|quote=The Old Man of the Sea / Yaupa / a native of Futuna, one of the New Hebrides Islands / regularly worked his own farm at the age of 130 / He died in 1899 of measles — a children's disease}}</ref>
			*Horoz Ali of ] lived to 120.<ref>{{cite book\|title=] 15th Series\|publisher=]\|location=]\|date=September 1969\|author=Ripley Enterprises, Inc.\|page=84\|quote=Horoz Ali the last Turkish gatekeeper of Nicosia, Cyprus, lived to the age of 120}}</ref>
			*Francisco Huppazoli (1587-1702) of ] lived 114 years and fathered 4 children after age 98.<ref>{{cite book\|title=] 15th Series\|publisher=]\|location=]\|date=September 1969\|author=Ripley Enterprises, Inc.\|page=56\|quote=Francisco Huppazoli (1587-1702) of Casale, Italy, lived 114 years without a day's illness and had 4 children by his 5th wife — whom he married at the age of 98}}</ref>

			Despite the evidence of the extremes of verified modern longevity, as established by ''Guinness'' and the ], stories in reliable sources still surface regularly, repeating longevity myths stating that these limits have been exceeded, even at extremely unlikely odds.
	Listed below are some individually-famous longevity myths that are either considered discredited, disproven, or simply not believable:

			The odd wire correspondent looking for a captivating filler reports extreme undocumented claims to this day: in early 2000, a ]ese man claimed to have been born in 1832, citing as evidence a card issued in 1988. In December 2003, a Chinese news service claimed incorrectly that ''Guinness'' had recognized a woman in ] as being 131. A claim from ] was for Javier Pereira (said to have been determined to be 167 years old by a dentist looking at his teeth).
	{\| class="wikitable"
	\|-
	\| '''Name'''
	\| '''Claimed birth'''
	\| '''Death'''
	\| '''Alleged age'''
	\| '''Country of birth'''
	\| '''Country of death'''
	\|-
	\|]
	\|1677?
	\|6 May 1933
	\|256 years
	\|{{flagicon\|Qing Dynasty}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|Republic of China}} ]
	\|-
	\|]
	\|26 March 1805?
	\|4 September 1973
	\|168 years
	\|{{flagicon\|Russia}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|Soviet Union}} ]
	\|-
	\|]
	\|1777?
	\|29 June 1934
	\|157 years
	\|{{flagicon\|Ottoman Empire}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|Turkey}} ]
	\|-
	\|Thomas Newman
	\|1389?
	\|1542
	\|153 years
	\|{{flagicon\|England}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|England}} ]
	\|-
	\|]
	\|1483?
	\|1635
	\|152 years
	\|{{flagicon\|England}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|England}} ]
	\|-
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|''']'''<ref></ref>
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|'''4 July 1874'''
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|'''Living'''
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|'''{{age in years and days\|1874\|7\|4}}'''
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|'''{{flag\|South Africa}}'''
	\| bgcolor="99FF99"\|
	\|-
	\|]<ref></ref>
	\|1875?
	\|16 January 2007
	\|131 years
	\|{{flagicon\|Russia}} ]
	\|{{flagicon\|Russia}} ]
	\|}

	==See also==		==See also==
			*]

	* ]		*]
			*]
	* ]
			*]
	* ]
	* ]		*]
	* ]

	==References==		==References==
Line 181:		Line 175:

	==External links==		==External links==
	* Boia, Lucian. Forever Young: A Cultural History of Longevity from Antiquity to the Present (2004). ISBN 1861891547		*Boia, Lucian. Forever Young: A Cultural History of Longevity from Antiquity to the Present (2004). ISBN 1861891547
	* Thoms, William J. The Longevity of Man. Its Facts and Its Fictions. With a prefatory letter to Prof. Owen, C.B., F.R.S. on the limits and frequency of exceptional cases. London: F. Norgate, 1879.		*Thoms, William J. The Longevity of Man. Its Facts and Its Fictions. With a prefatory letter to Prof. Owen, C.B., F.R.S. on the limits and frequency of exceptional cases. London: F. Norgate, 1879.
	*		*
	* http://www.demogr.mpg.de/		*http://www.demogr.mpg.de/
	* http://www.grg.org/Adams/G.HTM		*http://www.grg.org/Adams/G.HTM
	* http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908667-1,00.html		*http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908667-1,00.html

	{{longevity}}		{{longevity}}

Revision as of 22:17, 12 May 2009

This article is about generic categories of reasons or rationales for claims to longevity beyond the scientifically possible. For fully validated specific claims over 113, see list of supercentenarians. For incompletely validated specific claims within the "grey area" of possiblity (113-130), see longevity claims.

Longevity myths are cultural traditions and lore about exceptional, improbable, or impossible human longevity, with or without eternal youth. These stories include sincere beliefs of claims of extreme age as well as sincerely and insincerely exaggerated claims of extreme age. Each category of belief is based on a different motivation for claiming exceptional age.

Patriarchs

Stories of exaggerated longevity have been around since the earliest civilizations. The first longevity myths were probably the patriarchal/matriarchal claims, which are often an attempt to link humans to the gods or to God due to fuller life. In many cases, the ages of ancestors were exaggerated, in order to extend a genealogy further back into the past and bring it closer to the creation of the world, or the dawn of time.

The early Sumerian kings, Biblical patriarchs and other Biblical personalities, and other characters in folklore are given extreme ages that exhibit a decrease over time. Demographic study of modern human longevity gives odds of trillions to one against humans today reaching 130. Both scientific studies and longevity myths indicate that the nature of human biology was significantly different in the ancient past: scientific studies claim human life expectancy has increased overall since the Stone Age but do not rule out much older human lifeforms, while longevity myths imply that life expectancy has decreased within the historical period.

Sumerian

Extreme ages were typical in Sumerian genealogies; age claims were often rounded to the nearest 3,600 years. Documenting groups of people who had lived for hundreds of years was common in Sumer as well as the Indus Valley.

Three kings are recorded as having reigned 72,000 years each.
The Sumerian King List assigns 43,200 years to the reign of En-men-lu-ana, and 36,000 years each to those of Alalngar and Dumuzid.

Rulers in the Sumerian King List

Eridu	Alulim Alalngar
Bad-tibira	En-men-lu-ana En-men-gal-ana Dumuzid
Larak	En-sipad-zid-ana
Sippar	En-men-dur-ana
Shuruppak	Ubara-Tutu Then the flood swept over.
First dynasty of Kish	Jushur Kullassina-bel Nangishlishma En-tarah-ana Babum Puannum Kalibum Kalumum Zuqaqip Atab Mashda Arwium Etana Balih En-me-nuna Melem-Kish Barsal-nuna Zamug Tizqar Ilku Iltasadum Enmebaragesi Aga
Eanna	Meshkiangasher
First dynasty of Uruk	Enmerkar Lugalbanda Dumuzid the Fisherman Gilgamesh Ur-Nungal Udul-kalama La-ba'shum En-nun-tarah-ana Mesh-he Melem-ana Lugal-kitun Mesannepada
First dynasty of Ur	Mesannepada A'annepada Meskiagnun Elulu Balulu
Awan dynasty	-Lu Kul
Second dynasty of Kish	Susuda Dadasig Mamagal Kalbum Tuge Men-nuna Lugalngu
Hamazi	Hadanish
Second dynasty of Uruk	Enshakushanna Lugal-kinishe-dudu Argandea
Second dynasty of Ur	Nanni Mesh-ki-ang-Nanna II

Adab	Lugal-Anne-Mundu
Dynasty of Mari	Anbu Anba Bazi Zizi Limer Sharrum-iter
Third dynasty of Kish	Kubaba
Dynasty of Akshak	Unzi Undalulu Urur Puzur-Nirah Ushi-Il Shu-Suen of Akshak
Fourth dynasty of Kish	Puzur-Suen Ur-Zababa Zimudar Usi-watar Eshtar-muti Ishme-Shamash Nanniya
Third dynasty of Uruk	Lugal-zage-si
Dynasty of Akkad	Sargon Rimush Manishtushu Naram-Sin Shar-Kali-Sharri Then who was king? Who was not king? Igigi Imi Nanum Ilulu Dudu Shu-turul
Fourth dynasty of Uruk	Ur-ningin Ur-gigir Kuda Puzur-ili Ur-Utu
Gutian dynasty	In the army of Gutium, at first no king was famous; they were their own kings and ruled thus for 3 years. Inkishush Sarlagab Shulme Elulmesh Inimabakesh Igeshaush Yarlagab Ibate Yarla Kurum Apilkin La-erabum Irarum Ibranum Hablum Puzur-Suen Yarlaganda Tirigan
Fifth dynasty of Uruk	Utu-hengal
Third Dynasty of Ur	Ur-Nammu Shulgi Amar-Sin Shu-Sin Ibbi-Sin
Dynasty of Isin	Ishbi-Erra Shu-Ilishu Iddin-Dagan Ishme-Dagan Lipit-Ishtar Ur-Ninurta Būr-Sîn Lipit-Enlil Erra-imitti Enlil-bani Zambiya Iter-pisha Ur-du-kuga Sîn-Māgir

Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5. 2002.

Template:Biblical longevity

Biblical

The Biblical upper limit of longevity has been categorized by Witness Lee as having four successive plateaus of 1,000, 500, 250, and finally 120 years. Biblical figures may have exceeded these plateaus occasionally (such as in the Septuagint); in recent history, so did Jeanne Calment of France, who was 122 in 1997 and was the only modern person documented beyond scientific doubt to have exceeded 120 years.

In the narrative of Noah's flood, God states that humans would not be permitted to live more than 120 years (Genesis 6:3). This was originally taken as designating the fourth upper limit. Reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther first promoted the alternative explanation that 120 years referred to the amount of time left before the flood.

With the advent of modern accountable record-keeping, age claims fell to modern levels sometime after the death of Moses. The lifespans of kings from the eleventh to sixth centuries B.C. range normally from 30s to 70s, and people claimed as "old" after Moses have modern lifespans, such as Eli (98), Anna (84+), and Barzillai (80+).

Methuselah, the oldest patriarch, had the age of 969 (Genesis 5:27), or 720 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. His name having been interpreted as "when he dies, it will be sent", with his year of death being the year of the flood, is taken as having prophetic character.
Noah, with the age of 950, is the oldest patriarch in the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Adam, the first man, was assigned the age of 930. Allegorists take this as representing a perfected life of 1,000 years, but cut short by 70 years, which is then given as the average longevity of man.
Cainan, in a textual variation, appears in the Septuagint Greek version of the second patriarch list, and in the New Testament book of Luke, but not in the Masoretic Hebrew text.
Enoch had the age of 365 and was then reportedly taken bodily into heaven. This being the number of days in a year is interpreted by allegorists as indicating his having lived "a full life".

Interpretations

Biblical apologists that assert literal translation give explanations for the advanced ages of the early patriarchs. In this view, first, man was originally to have everlasting life, but as sin was introduced into the world by Adam and Eve, its influence became greater with each generation and God progressively shortened man's life; "four falls of mankind" (according to Witness Lee) correspond to four observable plateaus in longevity upper limits. Second, before Noah's flood, a "firmament" over the earth (Genesis 1:6–8) could have greatly contributed to man's advanced age. Third, biological DNA damage may cause genetically accelerated aging; experimentation with lengthening telomeres on worms has yielded increased worm life spans by about 20% and this may slow aging at the cost of increasing cancer vulnerability.

Some literary critics explain these extreme ages as ancient mistranslations that converted the word "month" to "year", mistaking lunar cycles for solar ones. This would turn an age of 969 "years" into a more reasonable 969 lunar months, or 78½ years of the Metonic cycle; but for consistency, the ages of the first nine patriarchs at fatherhood, ranging from 62 to 230 years in the manuscripts, would then be transformed doubtfully into the range of 5 to 18½ years.

Other literary critics suggested that "years" was translated correctly but the numbers were mistranslated.

Others believe that some of the numbers have a symbolic meaning, such as 930 (1,000 less 70), and 365 (the days in a year).

Still others say that the first list, of only 10 names for 1,656 years, may contain generational gaps, which would have been represented by the lengthy lifetimes attributed to the patriarchs.

Japanese

Age exaggeration tends to be greater in the earliest, least documented periods in many cultures. The early emperors of Japan often ruled for more than a century, according to tradition.

This form of reduced patriarchal or nationalist longevity myth inflated the ages of emperors, resulting in the traditional dating of Japanese history to 660 BC.

Emperor Jimmu (traditionally, 13 February 711 BCE – 11 March 585 BCE) lived 126 years, 27 days, on the proleptic Julian and Gregorian calendars, but the form of his name dates from some centuries later than his traditional lifespan.

Chinese

The early emperors of China often ruled for more than a century, according to tradition. Lucian also wrote about the "Seres" (a Chinese people), claiming they lived for 300 years.

Korean

Taejo of Goguryeo (47? – 165) is generally accepted as having reigned in Korea for 93 years beginning at age 7. After his retirement, the Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa give his age at death as 118.

Religious

In some religious traditions there are claims that, if one follows a certain philosophy or practice, one can become immortal or at least live to an extreme age. Some Taoists claimed to have lived to over 200 years; these claims were related to Taoist practice. Swami Bua claims to be a different age each time he is interviewed, but generally claims to have been born around 1889 (age approximately 120).

Lacking actual evidence, such claims seem intended merely to imply meditation leads to extreme longevity. Scientific evidence shows some life expectancy benefit from meditation, spiritualism, and faith, but measurable longevity tends to fall within the normal span; science also shows that human life expectancy has increased lately, but there are no studies proving this general increase is linked to religion, philosophy, practice, meditation, etc.

Saint Kentigern, patron saint of Glasgow in Britain in the Middle Ages, died shortly after 600 at the alleged age of 185. Today his age is given as 85 rather than 185.
Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren in continental Europe, was consecrated at the alleged age of 297, and is said to have lived for 375 years. This claim is based on attributing him as present during the life of Christ.
Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite, a Coptic saint, is said to have lived 348-466 AD, reaching 118 years.

Alchemists

Main article: Fountain of Youth

Fountain of Youth myths describe some natural source, potion, or other secret that provides healing and particularly longevity and youthful health (eternal youth). The Fountain of Youth reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Unlike stories rooted in patriarchal, ancient, and communal beliefs, Fountain of Youth myths are anchored in individual wishes for longer and healthier lives.

The New Testament, following older Jewish tradition, attributes healing to the Pool of Bethesda when the waters are "stirred" by an angel. Herodotus attributes exceptional longevity to a fountain in the land of the Ethiopians. The lore of the Alexander Romance and of Al-Khidr describes such a fountain, and stories about the philosopher's stone, universal panaceas, and the elixir of life are widespread.

The more recent Fountain of Youth tradition traces from medieval and Renaissance times, and seems to follow popular fears after the Black Death, which began in the 1340s. The idea that humans could transform their own substance using techniques such as alchemy became popular during the 15th and 16th centuries. Consequently, Spanish conquistadors, already searching for storied cities of gold, added the idea of finding a "Fountain of Youth". Juan Ponce de León explored Florida in 1513 in hopes of finding such a supernatural source.

The desire to avoid death was exploited by charlatans and snake oil salesmen who sold potions that promised longevity. It was common to locate a very old person and then to claim that person as an example of successful use of the potion.

In August 2006, popular American magician David Copperfield promoted waters he had discovered at what he called a true Fountain of Youth, amid a cluster of four small islands in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas, which he had purchased for roughly $50 million.

Village elders

The village elder myth reflects a preliterate societal respect for aging, patriarchy, etc., that leads to exceptional age claims intended to venerate the oldest person in the village.

This is probably a reduced version of the patriarchal myth, which attributes longevity to a former era. Village elder stories suggest an understanding that persons in the immediate era do not generally attain the ages of the ancients, but that an exceptional claim on behalf of one village elder is culturally appropriate.

The stories originally centered on the tribal chieftain, but in locations of distributed societal power, an elderly woman began to be substituted as the central figure. The village elder represented a source of pride and of oral tradition, and a person to commemorate. Often the elder claims a link to a famous historical figure or era, to give an authority to oral tradition that is entirely similar to that of pseudepigraphy.

The ages claimed tend to be limited by credibility. Most such claims are for ages of less than 200 years old, with the majority in the range of 140 to 160. These popular tales continue to exist even today in places such as Bangladesh.

Rome

Lucian, the probable source of a very early investigation of longevity.

While Rome was a literate society for the upper class, many of the poorer and remote regions of the empire were not. Even in times when written records came into existence for the upper class in Ancient Rome, reports from the countryside continued the same pattern of overestimation of age. The ancient Greek author Lucian is the presumed author of Macrobii (long-livers), a work devoted to longevity. Most of the examples Lucian gives are what would be regarded as normal long lifespans (80-100 years); but Lucian adds that

Tiresias, the blind seer of Thebes, was alive for 600 years.
Nestor lived three centuries.

Epimenides of Crete (7th, 6th centuries B.C.) is said to have lived 154, 157 or 290 years.

Nationalists

An extension and adaptation of the fountain of youth concept is the idea that a particular place, rather than a substance, carries what is needed to attain extreme age, and that a person seeking extreme longevity needs to move to a special district (one example is Goust). This story differs from the Fountain of Youth in that it focuses on an entire village, a mountain region, or a particular nation or national treasure. Such a location can also be called a Shangri-La, named after a mountain area in 20th-century fiction that contained an entire village of long-lived (or eternally lived) people.

Ascribing unique longevity to a particular "village of centenarians" is common across many cultures. Nationalist pride often contributes to motivate such tradition. The nationalist outgrowth idea became widespread in the rise of nationalism in the 20th century. As popular ideas became focused on one nation versus another, extreme age claims became a source of national pride. Many populations have reputations of producing unusual number of individuals with exceptionally high ages.

Other longevity myths are race-based or family-based, proposing unproven beliefs that a certain race or tribe tends to live longer than others. Many people tend naturally to believe that their own family members live a very long time.

America

Many people in the 1950s falsely claimed to be Confederate veterans, in a myth of Southern longevity; in 1973 a woman claimed to be a Confederate widow at 117.

In another wave of American longevity claims, Americans were faced with 1960s Soviet claims that the Soviet communist "lifestyle" resulted in extreme longevity, and that Shirali Muslimov was in his 160s. The 1970 U.S. census listed 106,000 people claiming to be 100 years old or older, some over 130. Longevity myths fell somewhat out of vogue in the later 1970s, when both American and Soviet experts came forward to debunk both sides.

Walter Williams claimed to be a Confederate soldier aged 117 in 1959; research that year by New York Times reporter Lowell K. Bridwell indicated that Williams was then really 105.
Sylvester Magee, allegedly 126, and Charlie Smith, allegedly 125, were featured by Time Magazine in 1967. Both claims may have been put forth by publicity-seeking individuals, while the national media chose to elevate these unsubstantiated claims in the context of Cold War ideology. Smith claimed an 1842 birth and died in 1979, but his marriage certificate indicated he lived only to 105, and the 1900 census indicated he lived only to 100.

Brazil

RankBrasil, a Brazilian competitor of Guinness, has made several unsubstantiated claims.

Maria do Carmo Geronimo (5 March 1871? - 14 July 2000), 129 years, 101 days.
Maria Olivia da Silva (28 February 1880? - ), 144 years, 330 days.
Ana Martinha da Silva (27 August 1880? - 27 July 2004), 123 years, 337 days.
Rosalina Francisca da Silva (6 August 1886? - ), 138 years, 170 days.
Joana Ribeiro da Silva (25 May 1888? - ), 136 years, 243 days.

China

File:Li chingYuen.jpg

Li Ching-Yuen, photographed in 1927 at the residence of General Yang Sen.

Chen Jun (陈俊) was said to have lived for 443 years in Yongtai county, Fujian province.
A wire story erroneously announced in 1933 that China's Li Ching-Yuen (李青云, Li Qing Yun), born in 1680, had died at age 256, attributing longevity to his genealogy. (If the dates were correct, Li would have been 252 or 253; Li himself claimed to be born in 1734, age 199.)
Still within the context of Marxist ideology but perhaps motivated more by nationalism, Du Pinhua of the People's Republic of China (22 April 1886? – 11 December 2006) was attributed a lifespan of 120 years, 233 days, perhaps to counter the relatively verified supercentenary claims of Japan's Kamato Hongo.

Cuba

In Cuba, local nationalism fueled unverified claims quite recently, such that the world's oldest man was claimed to be Benito Martínez. Recently, the fountain of youth myth was also invoked to explain Cuba's longevity.

Ecuador

A National Geographic article in 1973 treated with respect some claims that have subsequently been disproven, including the high mountain valley of Vilcabamba, Ecuador, where locals had claimed ancestors' baptismal records as their own.

England

English claims in prior centuries include:

Thomas Carn (1381?-1588?), allegedly 207.
Henry Jenkins, allegedly 169, apparently concocted to support testimony in a court case about events a century before.
Thomas Parr (1483?-1635), allegedly 152. According to P. Lüth, the results of Parr's autopsy by William Harvey suggest that Parr was probably under 70 years of age. It is possible that Parr's records were confused with those of his grandfather.
Katherine Fitzgerald (1464?-1604), allegedly 140, with significant evidence of being at least centenarian.

Italy

In Roman times, Pliny wrote about longevity records from the census carried out in 74 AD under Vespasian. In one region of Italy many people allegedly lived past 100; four were said to be 130, others even older.

Japan

The Okinawa diet has some reputation of linkage to exceptionally high ages.

Pakistan

The 1973 National Geographic article on longevity also reported, as a very aged people, the Burusho or Hunza people in the Hunza Valley of the mountains of Pakistan, without any documentary evidence being cited. Apparent age "heaping" suggested unreliability, because significantly often, the oldest ages ended in 0 or 5, indicating the ages were guesses, not real measurements.

Soviet

The Caucasus mountain region of Azerbaijan did not merely claim to have a 168-year-old; it also claimed hundreds of people aged over 120. Instead of one village elder, the entire village had become a "village of centenarians." Abkhazia is also an example.

The Caucasus was the subject of extreme claims for decades, inspired by Stalin's desire to believe that he would live a very long time. The fountain of youth concept was invoked by Dannon, which featured elderly yoghurt eaters of the Caucasus in its advertising. Longevity myths fell somewhat out of vogue in the later 1970s, when both American and Soviet experts came forward to debunk both sides.

Shirali Muslimov (26 March 1805? – 4 September 1973) was allegedly aged 168 years, 162 days, based solely on a passport. National Geographic carried but recanted the claim.
In 2003, health officials in Chechnya declared that Zabani Khakimova was at least 124 years old; she died later in 2003.
In 2004, The Moscow (Russia) Times reported that 122-year-old Pasikhat Dzhukalayeva, also of Chechnya, claimed to have been born in 1881, without a birthdate.

Exhibitors

In the "P. T. Barnum" longevity stories, one claims to be a great age to attract attention to oneself and/or to obtain money. Barnum himself exhibited Joice Heth as 161; her autopsy indicated she was under 80. The exhibitionist tradition was carried on by Robert L. Ripley, who regularly reported supercentenarian claims in Ripley's Believe It or Not!, usually citing his own reputation as a fact-checker to claim reliability. Ripley reported that:

Yaupa (1769?-1899) of Futuna continued to work his farm at the age of 130.
Horoz Ali of Cyprus lived to 120.
Francisco Huppazoli (1587-1702) of Italy lived 114 years and fathered 4 children after age 98.

Despite the evidence of the extremes of verified modern longevity, as established by Guinness and the Gerontology Research Group, stories in reliable sources still surface regularly, repeating longevity myths stating that these limits have been exceeded, even at extremely unlikely odds.

The odd wire correspondent looking for a captivating filler reports extreme undocumented claims to this day: in early 2000, a Nepalese man claimed to have been born in 1832, citing as evidence a card issued in 1988. In December 2003, a Chinese news service claimed incorrectly that Guinness had recognized a woman in Saudi Arabia as being 131. A claim from South America was for Javier Pereira (said to have been determined to be 167 years old by a dentist looking at his teeth).

References

Lee, Witness (1987). Life-Study of Genesis. Vol. II. pp. 227, 287, 361, 481.
"The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible", John J. Pilch, Liturgical Press, 1999, p. 144-146
"The Waters Above the Firmament: Or The Earth's Annular System", Isaac Newton Vail, Ferris and Leach, 1902, p. 97.
Joeng et al., 2004.
Weinstein and Ciszek, 2002.
"Making Sense of the Numbers of Genesis", Carol A. Hill, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, volume 55, 4 December 2003, p. 239.
Morris, Henry M. (1976). The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House. p. 159. Such an interpretation would have made Enoch only five years old when his son was born!
Noah's Ark and the Ziusudra Epic, chapter 7, R. M. Best, 1999.
Zondervan NIV Study Bible notes on Genesis 5:5. 2002.
Long lived populations: Extreme old age. J Am Geriatr Soc 30:485-87
"The Anti-Aging Plan: Strategies and Recipes for Extending Your Healthy Years" by Roy Walford (page 27)
^ Alexander Leaf, (Jan. 1973). "Search for the Oldest People". National Geographic, pp. 93-118.
P. Lüth “Geschichte der Geriatrie” (1965), S. 153 + 154
Thomas Parr NNDb.com Retrieved on: 10 January 2008
Ripley Enterprises, Inc. (September 1969). Ripley's Believe It or Not! 15th Series. New York City: Pocket Books. p. 112. The Old Man of the Sea / Yaupa / a native of Futuna, one of the New Hebrides Islands / regularly worked his own farm at the age of 130 / He died in 1899 of measles — a children's disease
Ripley Enterprises, Inc. (September 1969). Ripley's Believe It or Not! 15th Series. New York City: Pocket Books. p. 84. Horoz Ali the last Turkish gatekeeper of Nicosia, Cyprus, lived to the age of 120
Ripley Enterprises, Inc. (September 1969). Ripley's Believe It or Not! 15th Series. New York City: Pocket Books. p. 56. Francisco Huppazoli (1587-1702) of Casale, Italy, lived 114 years without a day's illness and had 4 children by his 5th wife — whom he married at the age of 98

External links

Boia, Lucian. Forever Young: A Cultural History of Longevity from Antiquity to the Present (2004). ISBN 1861891547
Thoms, William J. The Longevity of Man. Its Facts and Its Fictions. With a prefatory letter to Prof. Owen, C.B., F.R.S. on the limits and frequency of exceptional cases. London: F. Norgate, 1879.
Validation of Exceptional Longevity
http://www.demogr.mpg.de/
http://www.grg.org/Adams/G.HTM
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908667-1,00.html

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