Modern-day Methuselah: Is This the Oldest Man Ever in Our Time?

Meet Mbah Gotho, an Indonesian man whose life span might make you rethink the limits of human longevity. Official records from Indonesia suggest that Gotho was born on December 31, 1870, making him 146 years old at the time of his death. 

If this is accurate, he didn’t just age, he outlived every other documented lifespan in post-biblical times.

Indonesia started recording births in 1900, which raises questions about the authenticity of birth records from before that time. However, Indonesian officials assert that the documentation Gotho provided during his lifetime supports his claim. 

These documents, coupled with his interviews, have led officials to confirm his age as genuine.

Who is Methuselah?

Methuselah, known from the Bible as the man who lived to 969, has been the benchmark for extreme human age. 

He is the son of Enoch and Lamech and the grandfather of Noah, holding the record for the longest recorded lifespan according to scripture. 

This remarkable detail about his life is documented in the Book of Genesis, which is part of the Holy Bible, a sacred text for Christians.

What you should know Mbah Gotho

Tthroughout history, others have also claimed extraordinary lifespans. For instance, Zaro Aga, a Turkish-Kurdish claimed he lived to be around 157 to 160 years old, but research indicated he was more likely around 97 when he died. 

Similarly, claims from individuals like Nigerian James Olofintuyi and Ethiopian Dhaqabo Ebba, who asserted ages of 171 and 163 respectively, lack the documentation needed to be taken seriously in historical records.

Among all these, Gotho’s claim stands out as particularly compelling. His age, though not independently verified, would surpass that of Jeanne Calment, the French woman who holds the current verified record for the longest human lifespan at 122 years.

Gotho lived a simple life in his later years, primarily listening to the radio, as his eyesight had declined too much for him to watch television. When asked about his secret to a long life, his answer was straightforward yet profound: “patience.”

His death in 2017 marked the end of an era in his village in Central Java. The fascination with his age continues, highlighting the human curiosity about the boundaries of life expectancy.

Biblical records and ancient texts suggest that ages like Methuselah’s were not uncommon in the distant past. However, scientific evidence tells us that 30,000 years ago, humans rarely lived beyond 30.