THE TWO PILLARS OF METHUSELAH:

THE TWO PILLARS OF METHUSELAH: Long before Noah entered the ark, mankind already knew that judgment was coming. According to the first century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, the descendants of Seth became highly educated in astronomy and “the order of the heavenly bodies.” They feared their discoveries would be erased because Adam had warned that the world would eventually face destruction by water and by fire. Their solution was to build two pillars. One was made of brick. The other was made of stone. Their knowledge was inscribed on both so that if the Flood destroyed the brick pillar, the stone pillar might survive and preserve their discoveries for whoever came afterward. Josephus even claimed that the stone pillar was still standing in the land of Siriad during his own time. These are commonly called the “Pillars of Methuselah,” although Josephus actually credited the descendants of Seth as a group. Methuselah may have become connected with the story because he belonged to that bloodline and was the son of Enoch. Another ancient Jewish writing says Enoch entrusted his books to Methuselah and told him to preserve them for future generations. Genesis gives us a small glimpse of how advanced the world before the Flood had become. Jabal developed livestock culture, Jubal became the father of musicians, and Tubalcain worked with brass and iron. “And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron.” Genesis 4:22 KJV These weren’t ignorant cavemen wandering around waiting for civilization to begin. With extremely long lifespans and generations living alongside one another for centuries, knowledge could have accumulated at a level that is difficult for us to imagine. Could these pillars have existed? Absolutely. Have they been discovered and verified by archaeology? No. The Bible never mentions them, so the account must be treated as an ancient historical tradition rather than inspired Scripture. Josephus wrote thousands of years after the Flood and doesn’t tell us where he obtained the story. There is also no evidence that Moses needed these pillars to write Genesis. God could have revealed the history directly, while family records and oral accounts may also have been preserved through Noah, Shem and their descendants. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16 KJV Whether the pillars themselves are ever found or not, the account reflects something the Bible already makes clear. The ancient world knew judgment was coming. Knowledge continued to grow, wickedness continued to spread, and almost nobody listened until the water arrived. #MoreJoyMinistries