1-2 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3-5 When Adam had lived for 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

6-8 When Seth had lived for 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Seth lived after he fathered Enosh for 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. 9-11 When Enosh had lived for 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan for 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 12-14 When Kenan had lived for 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel for 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. 15-17 When Mahalalel had lived for 65 years, he fathered Jared. Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared for 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. Genesis 5:1-17 ESV

In his book 'Myths and Miracles', David C C Watson draws attention to the word 'book' in vs 1-2 of today's section. The Hebrew word clearly means a written document. The story of Adam and the family line that follows wasn't a fireside tale passed on verbally through the ages, and becoming distorted or exaggerated as the years went by, they were written records. The word 'man' in vs 2 is the same Hebrew word as Adam. It was from Adam that mankind's line developed. The apostle Paul stated this to the intellectuals of Athens, saying: “God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way towards Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26) Verses 3-5 say that Adam and Eve had other children besides Cain, Abel and Seth, but we don't know their names or how many there were. The focus is on those through whom God's purposes were going to be worked out. But what about Adam's age? Could he have lived 930 years?

Watson writes in his book of 100's of 'giant' fossils that have been found, such as 10 foot long turtles and dragon-flies with two foot wingspans! Some crocodiles were 50 feet long, three times more than they reach today. As growth is three dimensional, they must’ve lived far longer to reach that length. Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived around AD 100, said that that at least 12 historians of other nations also wrote of people before the great flood living to nearly 1000 years.

A careful reader of chapters 4 & 5 may have noticed some similar names in Cain's descendants and those of Seth. Some of Cain's were Enoch, Mehujael and Methushael, and some of Seth's were Enosh, Mahalalel and, later on, Methuselah and another Enoch. The name Lamech also comes up in both lines. Some might say this suggests the records are mixed up and intermingled. But if both lines gave names that reflected their generation we would expect similarities. This has been the case ever since and some names become more popular in each generation.

Sections of the Bible that give lists of names don't have as much to teach as other parts of God's word. But that doesn't make them unimportant, or less a part of God's message for mankind. The names of people and families they came from are a real part of everyday history. The Kingdom's of the world, such as the UK, trace their recorded lineage a long way. So too the truths in the Bible were written and recorded from the very beginning. The Bible isn't a campfire tale which became distorted as millenniums went by. Our word Bible comes from the Greek 'ta biblia' which meant 'the books'. The apostle Paul described it as “the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)