Methuselah or
Metushélach (
Hebrew: מְתוּשֶׁלַח / מְתוּשָׁלַח,
Modern Mətušélaḥ /
Mətušálaḥ Tiberian Məṯûšélaḥ /
Məṯûšālaḥ ; "Man of the dart/spear", or alternatively "when he dies/died, it shall be sent/has been sent") is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible, given as 969 years. Extra-biblical tradition records that he died on the 11th of
Cheshvan of the year 1656 (
Anno Mundi, after Creation), 7 days before the beginning of the great Flood.
[1] According to
Rashi on Gen. 7:4, The Holy One delayed the Flood specially because of the 7 days of mourning for the righteous Methuselah in his honour. Methuselah was son of
Enoch and the grandfather of
Noah.
The name
Methuselah has become a general synonym for any living creature of great age.
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