If you ever wondered who is the oldest woman in the Bible, you are not alone. It is a social faux pax to ask a lady her age, and perhaps this has been rooted in Biblical tradition, since the Bible records the age of only one lady.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Oldest People
The Book of Genesis records some of the oldest people who ever lived. Before the great flood of Noah, the Earth was very different than what we see today. At that time in history, it was normal for people to live for hundreds of years, well into the 900-year range. When comparing the way a present-day human ages, a person in their fifties today would probably look similar to a person in their 500s back in the pre-flood world. The oldest person in Scriptures is Methuselah, at 969 years old.
The family line of Methuselah, the oldest man recorded in the Bible, originated from Adam’s son, Seth, and included some very interesting people who lived very long lives. Methuselah was a son of Enoch is recorded as the only person who did not die. God took Enoch to Himself when Enoch was just 365 years old — a young person in those days! This is recorded in Genesis 5:23-24. “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (KJV)
Methuselah was the father of Lamech and the grandfather of Noah. The Bible does not mention the wives of any of these long-lived men, but they did have wives since they had children.
But while the Bible records the years of these men, Biblical history is silent on the life span of the women. Today, it is more common for a woman’s lifespan to be longer than a man’s. If this was true all through human history, then there were some very old, but spry, ladies!
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Eve
In a sense, Eve, the first woman, may have been the oldest woman in the Bible. When she was created, God created her as an adult, not a baby. If there had been any human observing Eve from Day 1, she would have already looked like she was “100” years old. At that time in history, a person who was 100 years old may have resembled what we would think of as a young adult today.
The time of Eve’s death is not recorded. Had Even not listened to the enticing words of the serpent (the devil) and ate the forbidden fruit, she would have never died. But this woman, the “mother of all living,” did eventually die. However, the Bible does not record any timeframe of her life or death, just three of her sons.
But this is what the Bible says about her husband’s death. “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.” Genesis 5:5 (KJV)
It can be assumed that Eve was near the same age as Adam. Had Eve been born rather than created and lived for the same number of years as her husband, she would have been very close to 1,000 years old when she died.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Sarah
The wife of Abraham, the mother of Isaac, is the only woman whose age has been recorded in the Bible. Genesis 23:1-2 “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.” (KJV)
When Sarah was ninety years old, God changed her name from “Sari” to “Sarah,” and allowed her to conceive her son, Isaac. God allowed her to live and enjoy her son for thirty-seven years before she passed away.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — From Moses Onward
Despite the long lives of men and women before the flood of Noah, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, one commandment is given with the distinct promise of a long life. This is the Fifth Commandment, which says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12 (KJV)
According to the Apostle Paul, who wrote the book of Ephesians, he specifically referred to this particular command from God when he said in Ephesians 6:2, “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)” (KJV)
With this promise of God in mind, given to Moses and never revoked, the men and women who lived long lives in the past, and even to this present day, must have honored their parents.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Deborah
The only female judge of Israel is recorded as being Deborah.
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.” Judges 4:4-5 (KJV)
This famous individual and Godly mother lived at a landmark that was known as “The Palm of Deborah.” There is nothing about Deborah’s age mentioned in the Bible, but she most likely was an older woman with years of wisdom when she served God and Israel as a judge. Debroah could have also been a widow when she was a judge of Israel since the Bible specifically calls her “the wife of Labidoth”. She, rather than her husband, served God as a women in this male-led society.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible — Elisabeth
In the New Testament, an older mother whose story is similar to the Old Testament mother, Sarah, was Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and a cousin to Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36). The Bible does not record her age, but when she was an older woman, definitely past menopause, her husband, Zacharias, while performing his priestly duties, had a surprise visit from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel said to Zacharias that he and his wife would be parents of a very special son — John the Baptist. Here is how the Bible describes Elisabeth and her husband.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” Luke 1:5-7 (KJV)
The modern phrase for “well stricken in years” could be explained by saying she was of a “ripe old age.” Nevertheless, despite her physical age, God chose her to be a very special mother.
It is not known how long she lived after giving birth to John the Baptist since the Bible does not record her death.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Anna
Another New Testament example of an elderly woman is the prophetess, Anna. Here is how Luke the beloved physician described her in his gospel.
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Luke 2:36-37 (KJV)
Anna’s actual age is not known. But from words in Luke’s account, Anna was an old lady. It is not known how old Anna was when she got married, but seven years later her husband died. The Bible says she was a widow for 84 years. Eighty-four plus seven is 91! Add 91 years to however old she was when she got married and the number is very high. That is, by today’s standards. However, comparing her great age to the ages of the people who lived before the flood recorded in Genesis chapter 6, she was a young girl!
As an elderly woman who served God faithfully in the Jewish Temple, Anna met Jesus Christ, the salvation of the world, and her Savior, when He was just eight days old.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Historical Tradition
Jewish tradition, rather than a Biblical account, has given great ages to other notable women of the Bible who are important in the Christian faith. These include women like Moses’ sister Miriam; the mother of Boaz from the story of Ruth; Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus. While these ladies were Godly women, their ages, if in fact they did live for many years, is not recorded in the Bible.
Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible? — Practical Application
Sometimes, to understand the past, it is needful to apply what is in the present. While there is no definitive answer to the question, “Who is the oldest woman in the Bible?”, what may be more important is to know how the older women, despite their actual chronological age, should utilize the blessings of a long life.
A clue about how these Biblical older women utilized the wisdom of their years is seen in the verses written by the Apostle Paul to Titus. “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5 (KJV)
Long life is a blessing of God. But with all of His blessings there is also responsibility. Older women need to take the blessing of the many years God gives them and use them to teach good, Godly, and honorable things to the younger women, who make up the next generation.
If you are an older woman, you have a great and blessed opportunity to influence the next generation so that your legacy may touch eternity.
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