METHUSELAH

(Me·thuʹse·lah) [perhaps, man of the dart].

Son of the faithful prophet Enoch; father of Lamech and grandfather of Noah. (Gen. 5:21-29; 1 Chron. 1:1-4; Jude 14, 15) A descendant of Adam through Seth, Methuselah was of the eighth human generation. (Luke 3:37, 38) He enjoyed a life-span of 969 years, the longest of Bible record, and one that has become proverbial for longevity. He died in 2370 B.C.E., the year in which the Flood began. But, the Scriptures say that Methuselah “died,” not that he perished in the Deluge as a result of divine execution.—Gen. 5:27; see LIFE-SPAN.