I am currently working my way through “Antiquities of the Jews” by Josephus. [Full online text can be found here http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM]
In Chapter 3 of “From the Creation to the death of Isaac” in AOTJ, I found a rather interesting paragraph:
9. Now when Noah had lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood, and that all that time happily, he died, having lived the number of nine hundred and fifty years. But let no one, upon comparing the lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our lives at present an argument, that neither did they attain to so long a duration of life, for those ancients were beloved of God, and [lately] made by God himself; and because their food was then fitter for the prolongation of life, might well live so great a number of years: and besides, God afforded them a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries, which would not have afforded the time of foretelling [the periods of the stars] unless they had lived six hundred years; for the great year is completed in that interval. Now I have for witnesses to what I have said, all those that have written Antiquities, both among the Greeks and barbarians; for even Manetho, who wrote the Egyptian History, and Berosus, who collected the Chaldean Monuments, and Mochus, and Hestieus, and, besides these, Hieronymus the Egyptian, and those who composed the Phoenician History, agree to what I here say: Hesiod also, and Hecatseus, Hellanicus, and Acusilaus; and, besides these, Ephorus and Nicolaus relate that the ancients lived a thousand years. But as to these matters, let every one look upon them as he thinks fit.
The following observations can be made:
1) Already 2000 years ago(!), there was a concern over the lengthy life span of our forefathers, with the accusation being mounted that the recordings of such life spans were false.
2) The scientific method of extrapolating from current conditions to the past was already in vogue (ie since common man can only life a certain number of years, this must have always been the case, even in the past). This approach is rejected by Josephus
3) Josephus resorts to naturalistic explanations for the lengthy life span, proposing that “their food was then fitter for the prolongation of life”
4) As evidence for the lengthy life spans of the ancients, Josephus makes reference to ancient and contemporary non jewish historians who record similar life spans in the history of their own people.
I think the following can be deduced from the above
1) The ancients were not primitive people, the contradiction between science, history and the contemporary opinion were issues of concern for them as well. They considered these conflicts to be a real issue, that required a response. I hardly imagine that Josephus was the only individual to have encountered these issues, and I guess it was rather a popular concern of the intellectual elite of that era.
2) The ancients already had advanced procedures and methodologies to obtain, quantify and communicate evidence for their respective positions. The scientific methodology of extrapolating from the present to the past was in use at that time and was used as evidence against traditional accounts of history. The historical – critical method of consulting sources outside the traditional cannon was implemented to resolve / propose contradictions and to seek parallels in the historical record for common themes / events.
3) As can be seen, the tension between Science and Torah is nothing new. The tools and methodologies used are the same then as they are now. The camps of believers, disbelievers, scientist and traditionalist are still alive and well in year 2006 as they were then.
This should give us hope and encouragement in light of the Slifkin Saga. No less a figure than Josephus found the strength to believe and profess his faith in spite of the opposition and difficulties. The same issues were around then, with the same tools and the same evidence. Yet, Josephus and people like him felt the "call of the hour" and responsed to the challenge. We would be wise to follow his example…