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Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Introduction

Humans have long been fascinated by the idea of extreme longevity. Ancient texts like the Book of Genesis famously attribute lifespans of hundreds of years to early figures – for example, Methuselah is said to have lived 969 years, with other patriarchs such as Adam (930 years) and Noah (950 years) not far behind en.wikipedia.org. Such extraordinary ages starkly contrast with modern observations: the longest documented human lifespan on record is 122 years (achieved by Jeanne Calment of France), with the longest-lived man reaching 116 years en.wikipedia.org. This article examines what current science tells us about the maximum human lifespan and evaluates whether there is any biological or demographic basis to support multi-century lifespans like those in Genesis. We review the latest understanding of human longevity from genetics, cellular biology (e.g. telomere dynamics and DNA repair), evolutionary biology, and historical demography. In doing so, we contrast scientific evidence with the extreme ages from antiquity, to determine if lifespans on the order of 900 years have any grounding in biological reality. The focus is strictly scientific – we will not invoke supernatural or symbolic interpretations, but instead stick to what empirical data and current theories indicate about human longevity.

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