Hundreds of giant fossils have been discovered over the years. These include ten-foot long turtles, dragonflies with a two-foot wingspan, and 50-foot-long crocodiles. Could the size of these creatures be the result of long lives and/or a more protective atmosphere? It is interesting to note that some reptiles today never stop growing, but continue to get larger as long as they live. The large size for prehistoric (i.e. pre-flood) reptiles, including dinosaurs, probably indicates very long lives. Even today, scientists do not fully understand what causes us to age and die. Given more ideal conditions and fewer genetic problems before the Flood, it is not hard to believe that pre-flood man could have lived 10 times longer than modern man.
Most likely the cause of longer life expectancy before the flood was fewer genetic problems. Contrary to what evolutionists would have us believe, with every passing century the number of mistakes and problems on our genes increases. There is also an intriguing possibility that the original earth was protected by a water-canopy above the atmosphere. This protective canopy would have shielded living things from the harmful radiation which shortens life. This may help account for both early man's long life span and larger animals. Josephus (a Jewish historian in 100 A.D.) records that the historians from nine other nations report people living up to 1,000 years old before the great Flood.
From A Closer Look at the Evidence by Kleiss, June 15.
