Only the Bad Died Young in the Ancient Middle East

Abstract

Biblical writers generally viewed old age as a reward for righteousness and piety. Consequently, they stressed the belief that the elderly were blessed and that they should be venerated. While life expectancy was usually below forty years, there are exceptional cases on record of individuals--men and women--living to advanced old ages. An analysis of these special few cases and a discussion of extra-Biblical texts shows that other ancient Middle Eastern societies held attitudes toward aging and the aged comparable to those expressed in the Hebrew Bible.