The longest-living human ever recorded since biblical times

Sodimedjo, commonly known as Mbah Gotho (Grandpa Gotho) a supercentenarian from Central Java, has formal papers proving his age, and the Indonesian records office has certified his birth date as December 31, 1870.

Even though, Indonesia only began tracking births in 1900, their officials assured the BBC that his papers were authentic, citing documentation he submitted and interviews with him.

Methuselah, the son of Enoch and Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah, is credited with the longest lifespan in the Bible, dying at the age of 969.

This claim is found in the Book of Genesis, a part of the Holy Bible, the sacred text of Christians.

There have been numerous people who claimed to be the oldest person alive. For example, Zaro Aga, a Turkish-Kurdish man, claimed to be the oldest person ever, born between 1774 and 1777.

He claimed to be 157/160 years and 133 days old at his death. However, research suggests he was 97 years old.

Others like Nigerian James Olofintuyi who claimed to be 171 and Ethiopian Dhaqabo Ebba (he claimed to be 163), have not been able to surpass Jeanne Calment’s record for the oldest verified lifespan due to a lack of supporting documentation.

However, Gotho’s claims seem the most plausible, which, if verified, would make him the oldest person in history, surpassing French supercentenarian Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 in 1997. However, his age was not independently verified.

Gotho spent his time listening to the radio while he was alive, as his vision had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer watch television.

When asked about the secret to a long life, he replied, “The recipe is simply patience.” He died in 2017 in his village in Central Java.

Interestingly, the Bible records that humans once lived up to 800 years before God shortened their lifespan to 120.

However, scientific evidence suggests 30,000 years ago ancient humans did not live beyond 30 years.