A lot of people find it silly that humans in biblical times lived in the hundreds of years (up to 969 to be exact), and think that it is proof that the scripture cannot be taken literally. There are many theories that would help to explain this phenomena, and here is the leading one that is accepted by most people in the scientific community (obviously there is rarely a consensus when it comes to the scientific community, but it is very close - intelligent design anyone?).
Noah and the great flood is the very first mention of any rain in the Bible. This can be backed up with the fossil record that there was no rain to exist on the earth before that time. It is theorized (and there is both atmospheric and terrestrial data to support this) that the planet was encompassed by a large shell of water, much thicker than our current atmosphere. This condensation shielded the earth from the ultraviolet rays of the sun and created a climate that allowed humans to live for much longer years.
Once the first rain commenced, the climate became more humid, hotter, and species adapted to it. In an age where there is little random mutation or sun damage species can survive for hundreds if not thousands of years. This would explain how the early humans like Adam and Eve lived for so long.
Also, you can expect that over time mutations would accumulate and that our overall DNA structure is much weaker than it was back then when it was first crafted by God's hand.
These two facts in conjunction with a little common sense are useful to clear up the misconception that the Biblical record conflicts with the evolutionary record or otherwise.
Feel free to post if you have any questions.
Noah and the great flood is the very first mention of any rain in the Bible. This can be backed up with the fossil record that there was no rain to exist on the earth before that time. It is theorized (and there is both atmospheric and terrestrial data to support this) that the planet was encompassed by a large shell of water, much thicker than our current atmosphere. This condensation shielded the earth from the ultraviolet rays of the sun and created a climate that allowed humans to live for much longer years.
Once the first rain commenced, the climate became more humid, hotter, and species adapted to it. In an age where there is little random mutation or sun damage species can survive for hundreds if not thousands of years. This would explain how the early humans like Adam and Eve lived for so long.
Also, you can expect that over time mutations would accumulate and that our overall DNA structure is much weaker than it was back then when it was first crafted by God's hand.
These two facts in conjunction with a little common sense are useful to clear up the misconception that the Biblical record conflicts with the evolutionary record or otherwise.
Feel free to post if you have any questions.
