10This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.11Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and daughters.12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.13Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.14Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.15Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters.16Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.17Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters.18Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.19Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.20Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.21Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
Humans don’t live 200–500 years because our bodies wear out at the cellular level. Cells can only divide a limited number of times, and each division shortens protective DNA caps called telomeres. Over time, damage accumulates in DNA and proteins, organs lose function, and the risk of disease and systemic failure increases. Natural selection also didn’t “aim” for extreme lifespans; it mainly favored living long enough to grow, reproduce, and raise offspring, not to stay healthy for centuries.
What the text says
Genesis 11:10-32 lists a series of individuals with lifespans ranging from 148 to 600 years, presented as straightforward genealogical history.
The text records how its authors understood the world with the knowledge they had. Read this way, a difference from modern science is a window into the ancient mind, not a failure.
As accommodation
The text speaks to its first audience in their own terms, to make a point that isn't mainly about physics or biology. Read this way, the scientific detail is the vehicle, not the cargo.
As contradiction
The text makes a claim about the physical world that modern findings dispute. Read this way, the difference is a genuine factual disagreement worth naming.
GEBible doesn't pick one of these for you. Each entry shows the passage, what it says, and what current science says — nothing more.
Also examined in
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
