Topical Bible: Oldest

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The concept of "oldest" in the Bible often pertains to individuals, artifacts, or events that hold significant historical or theological importance due to their antiquity. The Bible, as a historical and religious document, provides several references to the oldest individuals, genealogies, and traditions that have shaped Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Oldest Individuals:

1. Methuselah: Methuselah is renowned as the oldest person recorded in the Bible. According to Genesis 5:27, "So Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died." His long lifespan has been a subject of fascination and is often cited in discussions about the antediluvian (pre-Flood) world, where people reportedly lived much longer lives.

2. Adam: As the first human created by God, Adam holds a unique position as the oldest human in terms of origin. Genesis 2:7 states, "Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being." Adam's creation marks the beginning of humanity and the genealogical line that leads to all humankind.

Oldest Artifacts and Structures:

1. The Ark of the Covenant: While not the oldest artifact in terms of physical age, the Ark of the Covenant is one of the most ancient and significant religious artifacts mentioned in the Bible. It was constructed during the time of Moses, as described in Exodus 25:10-22, and served as a symbol of God's presence with the Israelites.

2. Altars and Monuments: Throughout the Old Testament, various altars and monuments are erected to commemorate significant events. For example, in Genesis 12:7, Abram builds an altar to the LORD after receiving the promise of the land. These structures, though not physically extant, represent some of the oldest religious practices recorded in Scripture.

Oldest Traditions and Practices:

1. Sabbath Observance: The Sabbath is one of the oldest practices instituted by God, dating back to the creation narrative. Genesis 2:2-3 records, "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished." The Sabbath became a central aspect of Jewish religious life and continues to be observed in various forms by Christians.

2. Circumcision: Instituted as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, circumcision is one of the oldest religious rites mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 17:10-11 states, "This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you."

Oldest Events:

1. Creation: The creation of the world is the oldest event recorded in the Bible, described in Genesis 1. This foundational narrative sets the stage for the entire biblical account, establishing God as the Creator of all things.

2. The Flood: The account of Noah's Flood is one of the oldest and most significant events in biblical history. Genesis 6-9 details how God judged the world for its wickedness, sparing only Noah and his family. This event is pivotal in understanding God's justice and mercy.

The Bible's references to the oldest individuals, artifacts, traditions, and events provide a rich tapestry of history and theology, underscoring the continuity and depth of God's interaction with humanity throughout the ages.

Greek

5018. Tarseus -- of Tarsus
... present-day Turkey. Tarsus has remained for more than , making it (perhaps)
the oldest city in the world in existence. [Some feel ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5018.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

8035. Shem -- "name," oldest son of Noah
... 8034, 8035. Shem. 8036 . "name," oldest son of Noah. Transliteration:
Shem Phonetic Spelling: (shame) Short Definition: Shem. Word ...
/hebrew/8035.htm - 6k

6215. Esav -- oldest son of Isaac
... 6214, 6215. Esav. 6216 . oldest son of Isaac. Transliteration: Esav Phonetic
Spelling: (ay-sawv') Short Definition: Esau. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6215.htm - 6k

7014b. Qayin -- oldest son of Adam and Eve
... 7014a, 7014b. Qayin. 7015 . oldest son of Adam and Eve. Transliteration:
Qayin Short Definition: Cain. Word Origin from the same ...
/hebrew/7014b.htm - 5k

7205. Reuben -- "behold a son!" oldest son of Jacob, also his desc ...
... Reuben. 7206 . "behold a son!" oldest son of Jacob, also his desc. ... Word Origin
from raah and ben Definition "behold a son!" oldest son of Jacob, also his desc. ...
/hebrew/7205.htm - 6k

5032. Nebayoth -- oldest son of Ishmael, also his desc.
... 5031, 5032. Nebayoth or Nebayoth. 5033 . oldest son of Ishmael, also his desc. ...
Word Origin from nabat Definition oldest son of Ishmael, also his desc. ...
/hebrew/5032.htm - 6k

3458. Yishmael -- "God hears," the name of several Israelites
... Ishmael. From shama' and 'el; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest
son, and of five Israelites -- Ishmael. see HEBREW shama'. see HEBREW 'el. ...
/hebrew/3458.htm - 6k

1060. bekor -- first-born
... Word Origin from bakar Definition first-born NASB Word Usage firstborn (118),
firstlings (1), most (1), oldest (3). eldest son, firstborn. ...
/hebrew/1060.htm - 6k

1419. gadol -- great
... 1), main (1), major (1), many (1), marvelous (1), mighty (1), mighty and great
(1), more* (1), much (1), nobles (1), old (1), older (8), oldest (3), prominent ...
/hebrew/1419.htm - 6k

2205. zaqen -- old
... Definition old NASB Word Usage aged (3), aged* (1), elder (3), elders (132), old
(21), old man (7), old men (7), old women (1), older (1), oldest (1), senior (1 ...
/hebrew/2205.htm - 6k

Library

The Oldest Family.
... II The Wooing Lover (John i. 1-18.) The Oldest Family. "But," John goes on. ... As many
as received Him, He received into His family, the oldest family of all. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/the oldest family.htm

Appendix (A).
... eudokias. Their authority for this reading is the consentient testimony
of the four oldest MSS. which contain S. Luke 2:14 (viz. ...
/.../burgon/the last twelve verses of the gospel according to s mark/appendix a.htm

The Golden Rule Exemplified
... While I was preparing the food for the sick child, I heard the oldest boy (who was
about fourteen), say: "You shall have the biggest piece now, because I had ...
/.../the golden rule exemplified.htm

The Bishops of Rome and of Alexandria During the Reign Of
... the time of Hermas. For other churches the oldest lists date from the
end of the third century. According to one interpretation ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter i the bishops of rome.htm

The Preparations of the Greeks for Defense.
... so; for the people were accustomed to assemble on the death of the king, and determine
who should be his successor, choosing always, however, the oldest son of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter vii the preparations of.htm

The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles.
... For his edition Tischendorf collated six mss., the oldest of the end of the ninth
century. ... Tischendorf edits Matthias, on the authority of his oldest ms. ...
/.../unknown/apocrypha of the new testament/part ii the apocryphal acts of.htm

How Jacob Deceived his Father
... When Isaac was so old and so nearly blind that he could not see, he called Esau
his oldest son and said to him, "My son." Esau answered, "Here am I." Then ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/how jacob deceived his father.htm

Appendix (A). On the Importance of Attending to Patristic ...
... SIGMA}. Their authority for this reading is the consentient testimony of
THE FOUR OLDEST MSS. WHICH CONTAIN S. Luke 2:14 (viz. B ...
/.../appendix a on the importance.htm

Early Danish Hymnody
... Among these hymns we find the oldest known Danish Christmas hymn, which, in the
beautiful recast of Grundtvig, is still one of the most favored Christmas songs ...
/.../aaberg/hymns and hymnwriters of denmark/chapter one early danish hymnody.htm

The Early Versions Examined, and Found to Yield Unfaltering ...
... To which statement it must now be added that second only to the testimony of Fathers
on such occasions is to be reckoned the evidence of the oldest of the ...
/.../chapter iv the early versions.htm

Thesaurus

Oldest (58 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Oldest (58 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). Genesis 10:15 And Canaan
was the father of Zidon, who was his oldest son, and Heth, (BBE). ...
/o/oldest.htm - 23k

Apostles'
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia APOSTLES' CREED; THE. kred. The Oldest Creed: The
Apostles' Creed is the oldest creed, and lies at the basis of most others. ...
/a/apostles'.htm - 20k

Methuselah (7 Occurrences)
... He was the oldest man of whom we have any record, dying at the age of nine hundred
and sixty-nine years, in the year of the Flood (Genesis 5:21-27; 1 ...
/m/methuselah.htm - 9k

Bride-bed (2 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 1 Chronicles 5:1 And the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, (for he
was the oldest son, but, because he made his father's bride-bed unclean, his ...
/b/bride-bed.htm - 7k

Creed
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. APOSTLES' CREED; THE. kred. The Oldest Creed:
The Apostles' Creed is the oldest creed, and lies at the basis of most others. ...
/c/creed.htm - 43k

Potter (14 Occurrences)
... Historical Development: (1) Prehistoric. The making of pottery ranks among
the very oldest of the crafts. On the rocky plateaus ...
/p/potter.htm - 28k

Pottery (11 Occurrences)
... Historical Development: (1) Prehistoric. The making of pottery ranks among
the very oldest of the crafts. On the rocky plateaus ...
/p/pottery.htm - 27k

Languages (36 Occurrences)
... HISTORY OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE 1. Oldest Form of Language 2. The Hebrew of the Old
Testament 3. Its Uniformity 4. The Cause Thereof 5. Differences Due to Age 6 ...
/l/languages.htm - 49k

Older (43 Occurrences)
... John 8:9 And when his words came to their ears, they went out one by one, starting
with the oldest even to the last, because they were conscious of what was in ...
/o/older.htm - 19k

Nehelamite (4 Occurrences)
... HISTORY OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE 1. Oldest Form of Language 2. The Hebrew of the Old
Testament 3. Its Uniformity 4. The Cause Thereof 5. Differences Due to Age 6 ...
/n/nehelamite.htm - 89k

Resources

What is the oldest book in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was the oldest man in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the oldest religion? | GotQuestions.org

Oldest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Oldest (58 Occurrences)

John 8:9
They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
(WEB BBE)

Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover, and put the sign of the blood on the houses, so that the angel of destruction might not put their oldest sons to death.
(BBE)

Hebrews 12:16
lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.
(See NIV)

Genesis 10:15
And Canaan was the father of Zidon, who was his oldest son, and Heth,
(BBE)

Genesis 19:4
Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the youngest to the oldest all the people from every quarter.
(DBY)

Genesis 22:21
Uz the oldest, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram,
(BBE)

Genesis 24:2
Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
(See NAS RSV)

Genesis 27:15
And Rebekah took the fair robes of her oldest son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son:
(BBE)

Genesis 27:19
And Jacob said, I am Esau, your oldest son; I have done as you said: come now, be seated and take of my meat, so that you may give me a blessing.
(BBE)

Genesis 27:32
And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your oldest son, Esau.
(BBE)

Genesis 43:33
And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.
(BBE)

Genesis 44:12
And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.
(BBE NAS NIV)

Genesis 46:8
And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, even Jacob and all his sons: Reuben, Jacob's oldest son;
(BBE)

Genesis 49:3
Reuben, you are my oldest son, the first-fruit of my strength, first in pride and first in power:
(BBE)

Genesis 49:26
Blessings of sons, old and young, to the father: blessings of the oldest mountains and the fruit of the eternal hills: let them come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of him who was separate from his brothers.
(BBE)

Exodus 6:14
These are the heads of their fathers' families: the sons of Reuben the oldest son of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi: these are the families of Reuben.
(BBE)

Numbers 1:20
The generations of the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over, who was able to go to war;
(BBE)

Numbers 3:2
These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the oldest, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
(BBE)

Deuteronomy 33:15
And the chief things of the oldest mountains, and the good things of the eternal hills,
(BBE)

Joshua 17:1
And this was the part marked out for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was the oldest son of Joseph. As for Machir, the oldest son of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war he had Gilead and Bashan.
(BBE)

Judges 8:20
Then he said to Jether, his oldest son, Up! Put them to death. But the boy did not take out his sword, fearing because he was still a boy.
(BBE NIV)

1 Samuel 17:13
And the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone with Saul to the fight: the names of the three who went to the fight were Eliab, the oldest, and Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.
(BBE NIV)

1 Samuel 17:14
And David was the youngest: and the three oldest were with Saul's army.
(BBE NAS NIV)

1 Samuel 17:28
And Eliab, his oldest brother, hearing what David said to the men, was moved to wrath against David, and said, Why have you come here? Into whose care have you given that little flock of sheep in the waste land? I have knowledge of your pride and the evil of your heart, you have come down to see the fight.
(BBE NAS NIV)

2 Samuel 3:2
While David was in Hebron he became the father of sons: the oldest was Amnon, son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
(BBE)

2 Samuel 13:21
But when King David had news of all these things he was very angry; but he did not make trouble for Amnon his son, for he was dear to David, being his oldest son.
(BBE)

1 Kings 16:34
In his days Hiel made Jericho; he put its base in position at the price of Abiram, his oldest son, and he put its doors in place at the price of his youngest son Segub; even as the Lord had said by Joshua, the son of Nun.
(BBE)

2 Kings 3:21
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.
(See RSV)

2 Kings 3:27
Then he took his oldest son, who would have been king after him, offering him as a burned offering on the wall. So there was great wrath against Israel; and they went away from him, back to their country.
(BBE NAS)

1 Chronicles 1:13
And Canaan was the father of Zidon, his oldest son, and Heth,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 1:29
These are their generations: the oldest son of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:3
The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah; these three were his sons by Bathshua, the Canaanite woman. And Er, Judah's oldest son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and he put him to death.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:13
And Jesse was the father of Eliab, his oldest son, and Abinadab, the second, and Shimea, the third,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:25
And the sons of Jerahmeel, the oldest son of Hezron, were Ram, the oldest, and Bunah and Oren and Ozem and Ahijah.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:27
And the sons of Ram, the oldest son of Jerahmeel, were Maaz and Jamin and Eker.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:42
And the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mareshah, his oldest son, who was the father of Ziph and Hebron.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 2:50
The sons of Hur, the oldest son of Ephrathah; Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 3:1
Now these were David's sons, whose birth took place in Hebron: the oldest Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite woman;
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 3:15
And the sons of Josiah: the oldest Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 4:4
And Penuel, the father of Gedor, and Ezer, the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the oldest son of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 5:1
And the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, (for he was the oldest son, but, because he made his father's bride-bed unclean, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; but he is not to be given the place of the oldest.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 5:3
The sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 6:28
And the sons of Samuel: the oldest Joel, and the second Abiah.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 8:1
And Benjamin was the father of Bela his oldest son, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 8:30
And his oldest son Abdon, and Zur and Kish and Baal and Ner and Nadab
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 8:39
And the sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his oldest son, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 9:5
And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the oldest, and his sons.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 9:31
And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for cooking the flat cakes.
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 9:36
And Abdon his oldest son, and Zur and Kish and Baal and Ner and Nadab
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 24:31
These likewise cast lots even as their brothers the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites; the fathers' houses of the chief even as those of his younger brother.
(See NIV)

1 Chronicles 26:2
And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the oldest, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 26:4
And Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the oldest, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethanel the fifth,
(BBE)

1 Chronicles 26:10
And Hosah, a son of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the oldest, his father made him chief);
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 21:3
And their father gave them much silver and gold and things of great value, as well as walled towns in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the oldest.
(BBE)

Job 1:13
And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,
(BBE NAS NIV)

Job 1:18
And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,
(BBE NAS NIV)

Proverbs 31:2
What am I to say to you, O Lemuel, my oldest son? and what, O son of my body? and what, O son of my oaths?
(BBE)

Zechariah 12:10
And I will send down on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of prayer; and their eyes will be turned to the one who was wounded by their hands: and they will be weeping for him as for an only son, and their grief for him will be bitter, like the grief of one sorrowing for his oldest son.
(BBE)

Subtopics

Oldest

Related Terms

Oldest (58 Occurrences)

Oldness (1 Occurrence)

Rechabites (4 Occurrences)

Repeatedly (28 Occurrences)

Abandon (31 Occurrences)

Forbid (46 Occurrences)

Observe (216 Occurrences)

Fasts (3 Occurrences)

Feasts (45 Occurrences)