Jared (ancestor of Noah)
Encyclopedia
Jared, or Jered, in Judeo-Christian
religious belief was a fifth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve
.
, great-grandson of Seth
, son of Adam, was stated to be 65 years of age when Jared was born. In the apocryphal Book of Jubilees, his mother's name is Dinah
. His primary history is recounted in .
Jubilees adds that Jared married Beraka, and the Bible
speaks of Jared having become father to many sons and daughters. Of those children, only Enoch
is named specifically, born when Jared was 162 years old . Enoch went on to marry Edna, according to Jubilees, and the sole named grandchild of Jared is Enoch's son Methuselah
, the longest-living human mentioned in the Bible .
Additionally, Jared was a forefather of Noah
and his three sons
. Jared's age was given as 962 years old when he died, making him the second-oldest person mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
and the Septuagint. In the Samaritan Pentateuch
, his age was 62 at fatherhood and only 847 at death, making Noah the oldest and Jared the seventh-oldest.
, such as the King James Version of the Bible
, the classical Biblical pronunciation of the English name Jared is ˈdʒɛərɛd; generally though it is ˈdʒærəd. The spelling of the identical name in 1 Chronicles is Jered. The original Hebrew
pronunciation of the name, ירד, found in the Hebrew Bible
, was similar but with an initial y sound: ˈjɛrɛð.
According to the Book of Enoch
, Mahalalel named [his son] Jared "descent" because during his lifetime the angels of the Lord who were called Watchers descended to earth to teach mankind and to do what is just and upright upon the earth".
, died in 1997, aged 122; demographic study of modern human longevity
gives odds of trillions to one against humans today reaching 130. The application of modern demographic data to ancient eras is unclear. The extreme ages of the Hebrew Bible exhibit a decrease over time, and the Biblical upper limit of longevity has been categorized by Witness Lee
as having four successive plateaus of 1,000, 500, 200, and finally 120 years.
Accordingly, these very long lifespans have been a source of much speculation, with special emphasis on Methuselah and Jared as record-holders. Biblical apologists hold that sin
, loss of the water-canopy firmament
, and DNA
breakdown all contribute to decreased lifespans. Form critics hold variously that the yearly and monthly cycle were confused, simplifying some dates; that numbers were converted incorrectly; or that other reinterpretation is necessary. If "year" is interpreted consistently as "month", numbers like Jared's age become reasonable (962 lunar months or 78 years), but other numbers become more unreasonable (fathering children at age 5).
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
religious belief was a fifth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
.
Tradition
His father MahalalelMahalalel
Mahalalel, Mahalaleel, or Mihlaiel Hebrew מהללאל was a patriarch named in the Hebrew Bible.- Family :Mahalalel was a son of Kenan, son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam in the Old Testament of the Bible...
, great-grandson of Seth
Seth
Seth , in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, who are the only other of their children mentioned by name...
, son of Adam, was stated to be 65 years of age when Jared was born. In the apocryphal Book of Jubilees, his mother's name is Dinah
Dinah
According to the Hebrew Bible, Dinah was the daughter of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Israelites and Leah, his first wife. The episode of her abduction and violation by a Canaanite prince, and the subsequent vengeance of her brothers Simeon and Levi, commonly referred to as "The Rape of...
. His primary history is recounted in .
Jubilees adds that Jared married Beraka, and the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
speaks of Jared having become father to many sons and daughters. Of those children, only Enoch
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
is named specifically, born when Jared was 162 years old . Enoch went on to marry Edna, according to Jubilees, and the sole named grandchild of Jared is Enoch's son Methuselah
Methuselah
Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
, the longest-living human mentioned in the Bible .
Additionally, Jared was a forefather of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
and his three sons
Sons of Noah
The Seventy Nations or Sons of Noah is an extensive list of descendants of Noah appearing in of the Hebrew Bible, representing an ethnology from an Iron Age Levantine perspective...
. Jared's age was given as 962 years old when he died, making him the second-oldest person mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
and the Septuagint. In the Samaritan Pentateuch
Samaritan Pentateuch
The Samaritan Pentateuch, sometimes called Samaritan Torah, , is a version of the Hebrew language Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, used by the Samaritans....
, his age was 62 at fatherhood and only 847 at death, making Noah the oldest and Jared the seventh-oldest.
Name
In English translations of the BibleEnglish translations of the Bible
The efforts of translating the Bible from its original languages into over 2,000 others have spanned more than two millennia. Partial translations of the Bible into languages of the English people can be traced back to the end of the 7th century, including translations into Old English and Middle...
, such as the King James Version of the Bible
King James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
, the classical Biblical pronunciation of the English name Jared is ˈdʒɛərɛd; generally though it is ˈdʒærəd. The spelling of the identical name in 1 Chronicles is Jered. The original Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
pronunciation of the name, ירד, found in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, was similar but with an initial y sound: ˈjɛrɛð.
According to the Book of Enoch
Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon as used by Jews, apart from Beta Israel...
, Mahalalel named [his son] Jared "descent" because during his lifetime the angels of the Lord who were called Watchers descended to earth to teach mankind and to do what is just and upright upon the earth".
Longevity
In recent history, the oldest person documented beyond reasonable doubt, Jeanne CalmentJeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
, died in 1997, aged 122; demographic study of modern human longevity
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
gives odds of trillions to one against humans today reaching 130. The application of modern demographic data to ancient eras is unclear. The extreme ages of the Hebrew Bible exhibit a decrease over time, and the Biblical upper limit of longevity has been categorized by Witness Lee
Witness Lee
Witness Lee was a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Churches movement, and the founder of the Living Stream Ministry. He was born in the city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, in 1905, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a born again Christian in 1925 after hearing the...
as having four successive plateaus of 1,000, 500, 200, and finally 120 years.
Accordingly, these very long lifespans have been a source of much speculation, with special emphasis on Methuselah and Jared as record-holders. Biblical apologists hold that sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, loss of the water-canopy firmament
Firmament
The firmament is the vault or expanse of the sky. According to Genesis, God created the firmament to separate the oceans from other waters above.-Etymology:...
, and DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
breakdown all contribute to decreased lifespans. Form critics hold variously that the yearly and monthly cycle were confused, simplifying some dates; that numbers were converted incorrectly; or that other reinterpretation is necessary. If "year" is interpreted consistently as "month", numbers like Jared's age become reasonable (962 lunar months or 78 years), but other numbers become more unreasonable (fathering children at age 5).