Can you solve this contradiction?

[74x12]

Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?

Genesis 6:3 is misinterpreted to mean lifespan when it doesn't mean that at all. It means they had 120 years until the flood came. That is what is understood if you keep it context.

 

[paradox]

Easy, it is fiction and not meant to be taken literally.

We know the stories are not true. They still work as morality tales.

You have a lot more to investigate and to answer than just saying it's fiction.

for example there must motive for the existence of scriptures, and reason why would people waste their lifetime to write stories and what would their benefit be,
why would someone willingly sacrifice their life in the name of God if they knew it's all hoax etc.

You can't make a proof therefore you need logical arguments backed up with historical facts.

 

[Subduction Zone]

You have a lot more to investigate and to answer than just saying it's fiction.

for example there must motive for the existence of scriptures, and reason why would people waste their lifetime to write stories and what would their benefit be,
why would someone willingly sacrifice their life in the name of God if they knew it's all hoax etc.

You can't make a proof therefore you need logical arguments backed up with historical facts.

What makes you think that I have not investigated this? And far better than "historical facts" we have scientific facts that tells us that these stories are myths,.

 

[Soapy]

Genesis 6:3 is misinterpreted to mean lifespan when it doesn't mean that at all. It means they had 120 years until the flood came. That is what is understood if you keep it context.

This is very interesting. Not heard this before … and it makes sense.

But, perhaps it was a duel expression.

One more thing, though. Numbers in the Bible are not necessarily absolute values in humanity. God did not, for instance, create the earth in six days -

• a ‘day’ just means ‘A period of time’ ;
• 40 just means, ‘A Long Time’
• A ‘Week’?
• A ‘Year’?

They are coded numbers to which we need to work out their values - or the values are only generalised due to the limited understanding of the hearer in those early time periods.

 

[paradox]

What makes you think that I have not investigated this? And far better than "historical facts" we have scientific facts that tells us that these stories are myths,.

If you have investigated then you should have no issue in destroying religion and convincing people that their faith is in vain.

Scientific facts are not useful, with all the science that we have and which is world wide available for study this still doesn't turn people away from god,
those who strive to destroy religion will have to find a better way.

How would you answer to my sample questions for example?

 

[WonderingWorrier]

Makes much sense!
It immediately reminded me of Proverbs 10:27

I think you are on the right track. Like Proverbs 10:27.

It is being used as a measurement of a man.

Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. Isaiah.




Ive seen the same concept in the bible using height as a measurement of a man.

Thoughts increase height.

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Matthew.


In Islam it is said Adam was 60 cubits tall and people have been getting lower in stature since Adam. It is also said Mohammad saw a man so tall he was unable to see his head, and than person was Abraham.


The age measurement concept is also used in Buddhism.

As in the Cakkavatti Sutta. The wheel turning emperor

"In the past, unskillful behavior was unknown among the human race. As a result, people lived for an immensely long time — 80,000 years — endowed with great beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength. Over the course of time, though, they began behaving in various unskillful ways. This caused the human life span gradually to shorten, to the point where it now stands at 100 years".

"With the recovery of virtue, the human life span will gradually increase again until it reaches 80,000 years"


The Buddha is the eldest in the Buddhist measurement.

"I am chief of the world,

Eldest in the world. This is the last birth.

There will be [henceforth for me] no more re-becoming."

Miracles of Gautama Buddha - Wikipedia


The number that comes up with the Buddha is 84,000.
It is said the teachings of the Buddha number 84,000 which would be a bit higher than the 80,000 years.

 

[Muffled]

Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?

I believe the 120 is a generalization and 127 an exception.

 

[Muffled]

Easy, it is fiction and not meant to be taken literally.

We know the stories are not true. They still work as morality tales.

I believe it is not written as fiction. Did the author ever make that claim?

 

[Subduction Zone]

I believe it is not written as fiction. Did the author ever make that claim?

Why would that matter? Parts of the Bible are clearly fictitious. Do you think that the Harry Potter books are real because the author within the stories does not say that they are stories?

Those parts of the Bible work as allegory. They do not work as history.

 

[Muffled]

Why would that matter? Parts of the Bible are clearly fictitious. Do you think that the Harry Potter books are real because the author within the stories does not say that they are stories?

Those parts of the Bible work as allegory. They do not work as history.

How does one tell? Is the Odyssey history or fiction? In The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire the author states that historians said nice things about emperors so they wouldn't have their heads chopped off. The fact remains that the Bible claims the source to be God whether the contents are fact or fiction. After all the parables are fiction.

 

[Subduction Zone]

How does one tell? Is the Odyssey history or fiction? In The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire the author states that historians said nice things about emperors so they wouldn't have their heads chopped off. The fact remains that the Bible claims the source to be God whether the contents are fact or fiction. After all the parables are fiction.

There are ways to tell if something is fact or fiction. Mohammad rode around the Moon on a winged horse. Fact of fiction. It is pretty obviously fiction. As is a tale of a magic boat and a magical garden. Those stories would have consequences if they were true. Consequences that we could observe today.

The absence of evidence CAN BE evidence of absence.

 

[Muffled]

There are ways to tell if something is fact or fiction. Mohammad rode around the Moon on a winged horse. Fact of fiction. It is pretty obviously fiction. As is a tale of a magic boat and a magical garden. Those stories would have consequences if they were true. Consequences that we could observe today.

The absence of evidence CAN BE evidence of absence.

I believe those things may have come from Hadiths and Hadiths are very unreliable and apt to be fiction.

I believe you are wrong about that. Whether it is fact or fiction depends on the reliability of the source and that is not obvious.

I believe that is false reasoning. Not all stories have observable consequences.