The Measure of Human Significance: Rethinking Longevity in תי ִׁשאֵרְּב – Bereishis
A Symbolic Interpretation of Lifespan as the Measure of Human Impact in Genesis
From the essay
From the opening verses of Bereishis (Genesis), the Torah invites reflection on the enigma of human longevity. The earliest generations — Adam, Seth, Methuselah, Noah — are said to have lived for hundreds of years, nearly a millennium in some cases. As history unfolds, human life appears to shorten, stabilizing near 120 years in the time of Moses. Traditional interpretations view this as a literal biological decline, an adjustment of nature or divine decree.
Adapted from PDF pages 1.