The word “antediluvian” refers to the time period before the Great Flood described in the Bible. The Flood narrative is found in Genesis chapters 6-9 and details how God destroys the earth with a great flood due to the wickedness of mankind. Only Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark were spared.
The time period before the Flood is referred to as the “antediluvian world.” The word “antediluvian” comes from Latin – “ante” meaning “before” and “diluvium” meaning “deluge” or “flood.” So antediluvian literally means “before the flood.”
Key Points about the Antediluvian World in the Bible
Here are some key points the Bible reveals about the antediluvian age:
- It was a time of great wickedness and corruption among men (Genesis 6:5,11-12)
- People lived extraordinarily long lifespans, up to 969 years (Genesis 5)
- Angels cohabited with human women and produced offspring called the Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-4)
- Noah was “righteous” and “blameless” among the people of his day (Genesis 6:9)
- God limited mans lifespan to 120 years after the Flood (Genesis 6:3)
- The earth was filled with violence and bloodshed (Genesis 6:11, 13)
- All the high mountains were covered by water during the Flood (Genesis 7:19-20)
So in summary, the antediluvian period was the age of history before the Genesis Flood. It lasted approximately 1,656 years based on the lifespans and genealogies listed in Genesis 5 from Adam to Noah. The long lifespans and Nephilim giants characterized this period, which ultimately ended when God judged the world’s wickedness with the Flood.
Wickedness and Corruption
One of the major themes of the antediluvian world was the great wickedness and corruption of mankind. Genesis 6:5 states that “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The sins of men were so egregious that it grieved God’s heart and moved Him to judge the world:
“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” (Genesis 6:11-12)
The fact that only Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” indicates just how depraved the human race had become by this time in history (Genesis 6:8). The Flood judgement came about because “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and…every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).
Long Lifespans
Another unique attribute of the antediluvian era was the extraordinarily long lifespans of the patriarchs and other people mentioned. According to Genesis chapters 5 and 11, many individuals lived over 900 years:
- Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5)
- Seth lived 912 years (Genesis 5:8)
- Enosh lived 905 years (Genesis 5:11)
- Jared lived 962 years (Genesis 5:20)
- Methuselah lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27) – the longest recorded lifespan
- Noah lived 950 years (Genesis 9:29)
Comparatively, lifespans dramatically declined after the Flood. No one lived over 500 years except Shem, who lived 600 years (Genesis 11:10-11). By Abraham’s time just a few generations after the Flood, lifespans were down to about 175 years (Genesis 25:7-8). So the 1,000+ year lifespans before the Flood were extremely anomalous.
Some propose God allowed lengthy lifespans originally so mankind could multiply and have time to repent of their sins. Others theorize environmental or genetic factors enabled such long lives early on. But regardless of the reasons, the pre-Flood patriarchs living nearly 1,000 years was a unique characteristic of that time period in biblical history.
The Nephilim Giants
Genesis 6:1-4 briefly mentions a strange phenomenon that also defined the antediluvian age – the Nephilim giants:
“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose…The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”
This passage describes fallen angels (“sons of God”) mating with human women and producing offspring called “Nephilim”, which means “giants” or “fallen ones”. The children born of these unholy unions were powerful, mythic men of great renown. Legends of demigods, titans, and heroes among ancient myths may have originated with this mysterious event.
The Nephilim giants evidently became so corrupt and violent that they contributed to the conditions necessitating the Flood: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11). But even after the Flood, the Nephilim returned: “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward” (Genesis 6:4). So this infusion of angelic blood corrupted mankind before and even after the Flood during Noah’s time.
Righteous Noah
Against the backdrop of widespread wickedness, Genesis introduces Noah as “a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Noah found grace in God’s eyes, perhaps because he retained his righteousness and resisted the rampant corruption around him. Noah’s example proves that one can still serve God faithfully even when surrounded by evil.
When God judged the world’s wickedness with the Flood, He spared righteous Noah and his family, allowing them to repopulate the earth after the destruction. 2 Peter 2:5 describes Noah as “a herald of righteousness” because he obeyed God despite living in an extremely depraved generation. The example of Noah gives hope to believers today that they too can remain faithful even if the culture around them grows more and more evil.
God Limits Lifespans
In light of mankind’s corruption, Godmakes an interesting declaration before bringing the Floodwaters:
“Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:3)
Whereas men lived over 900 years before the Flood, God limits their lifespan to 120 years because of their wickedness. After the Flood, the patriarchs still lived around 400-500 years for a time. But by the time of King David 900 years later, the average lifespan was down to about 70 years (Psalm 90:10).
So God evidently instituted a gradual shortening of human lives over successive generations after the Flood. Why did He cut man’s lifespan from 900+ years originally to just 100+ years today? Because man’s corrupt nature tends to drift toward evil when unrestrained by mortality and accountability to the judgement after death (Hebrews 9:27). But when men have less time on earth, they are motivated to walk more closely with God and use their fleeting years wisely.
A World Filled with Violence
In Genesis 6:11, God describes the antediluvian world He was about to judge as a place where “the earth was filled with violence.” Lawlessness and bloodshed dominated the human affairs of that age. In fact, this violence and corruption was a key reason God sent the Flood:
“And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them.” (Genesis 6:13)
This violent, brutal world overrun by war and conflict stood in stark contrast to the righteousness of Noah. The story of Noah illustrates how believers must resist compromising with the wicked values and conduct of their culture, just as Noah resisted and stood faithful before God.
The Extent of the Flood
Genesis 7 recounts how the Flood waters rose and covered even the tallest mountains on earth by at least 15 cubits (20 feet):
“The waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.” (Genesis 7:19-20)
Many scholars believe this demonstrates the Flood was global in extent, not just local. All the high mountains were covered with water, indicating catastrophic flooding on a massive scale. Jesus described the Flood destroying “them all” in Matthew 24:39, suggesting a pandemic catastrophe, not just a regional event. So the biblical text implies the Flood radically changed the earth’s geology and landscape.
The Post-Flood World
After the Flood, God made a covenant with Noah and his sons, allowing them to repopulate the earth (Genesis 9:1,7). But the long lifespans of the antediluvian patriarchs would now become far shorter. The earth’s geology and climate were also forever altered, evidenced by the new seasonal cycles mentioned after the Flood (Genesis 8:22).
Sinful tendencies still remained in post-Flood humanity, requiring laws to restrain evil (Genesis 8:21). But God promises never again to destroy the world with a flood (Genesis 9:11-17). The next judgment would come through fire (2 Peter 3:7). So while the Flood did not eradicate man’s sinfulness, it did purge the ancient world and pave the way for the next major phase in God’s redemptive plan for mankind through Abraham and the patriarchs that followed.
Major Takeaways
In summary, here are some of the major biblical points about the antediluvian period:
– It was an age of extreme wickedness and corruption that brought God’s judgment.
– People lived extraordinarily long lifespans up to 969 years.
– A unique breed of giants called the Nephilim walked the earth.
– Noah alone found favor with God due to his righteousness.
– God limited man’s lifespan to 120 years after the Flood.
– Rampant violence filled the earth.
– The Flood covered even the highest mountains on earth.
So in the biblical narrative, the antediluvian era was a unique period defined by moral depravity and long lifespans that God eventually judged through the catastrophic Flood. The post-Flood world saw shortened lifespans and a new covenant through Noah as humanity began anew after its destruction. Understanding this pivotal pre-Flood age helps illuminate God’s perspective on sin and righteousness as revealed in the opening chapters of Genesis.
