In the past, living over 200 years old was rather common. Whether it’s the climate, genetics, diet, or radiation that differentiates them from the rest of us is up to the witnesses to decide. Characteristics that these people shared, be they legendary or historical, include finding inner calmness and stressing the importance of virtue.
Noah-950 years old
Most famous for the building of Noah’s Ark, Noah, one of the biblical patriarchs, was 600 years old before the flood. God gave Noah instructions to build the ark, thus saving Noah, his family, and a line of animals.
After the flood Noah lived for another 350 years.
During the pre-flood years, the average age of the patriarchs was nearly 1000 years old, according to Biblestudy. After the Great Flood, these figures saw a decrease. Noah’s son, Shem, only lived for 600 years.
Peng Zu – 880 years old
A descendant of the Yellow Emperor, Peng Zu is a symbol of longevity in China. Peng lived during the Shang Dynasty around the 17th-11th century BC. Peng Zu looked very young even in his later years, living through multiple dynasties. It is said he had 49 wives and 54 children, who all died before him.
According to Chinesegarden101.blogspot.com, when the Shang Dynasty emperor sought him to learn the secret of longevity, Peng replied, “In all my life, I have been through many wars and tortures. Never did I have enough to eat. Look, I’m dry and skinny. I fear I’ll be going to see my ancestors soon. What sort of longevity is this?”
Rumor has it that Peng Zu’s name was accidentally left out of Death’s list.
Devraha Baba “The Ageless Yogi” – Over 250 years old
Baba lived as a yoga guru, and was visited by people of all walks of life including politicians, priests, from the rich to the poor, according to India Behind the Lens.
Baba resided on a 12-foot platform, near the Yamuna river. When he sat there, many devotees came to him seeking blessings and protection. It is believed Baba did not nourish himself in any way except to drink water from the river. Baba could also stay in the water and control his breathing for 30 minutes.
Baba, said to be born in the 15th century, died in 1989.
Li Ching-Yuen – Over 256 years Old
Yuen was a martial arts instructor, and herbalist. Yuen was heard to have said, “Keep a quiet heart, sit like a turtle, walk swiftly like a pigeon, and sleep like a dog,” when asked about his secret to longevity, according to Before its News.
Noted by the New York Times, Mr. Li believed that anyone could live at least a century if they achieved inner peace.
Li had 23 wives and 180 descendants.
Li died on May 6, 1933. When he was teaching his students martial arts, he told his students he had completed his mission in life and it was time to go home.
Henry Jenkins – 169 Years Old
Jenkins, said to be born in 1501, and deceased in 1670, was from North Yorkshire, England. He ended up begging for alms later in his life, though he was once a butler to the lord of Hornby Castle.
Though he lived a poor life, a plaque was constructed near his grave nearly a century later according to the GENUKI.
It reads: “And though the partial world despised and disregarded his low and humble state, the equal eye of Providence beheld and blessed it with a patriarch’s health and length of days, to teach mistaken man these blessings are entailed on temperance, a life of labour, and a mind at ease. He lived to the amazing age of 169; was interred here, December 6, 1670, and had this justice done to his memory, 1743.”
Sarah – 127 Years Old
Sarah was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.
In the Bible, three men approached Abraham and one of them predicted that Abraham would have a son from Sarah. At the time, Sarah heard the conversation and laughed, thinking how it was impossible since she was already 90 years old. Abraham was 100 years old when he and Sarah had a son, Isaac.
Sarah died at age 127, which was recorded in the Bible. She was buried in the Cave of the Patriarch south of present-day Jerusalem according to the JewishVirtualLibrary.
