Mathusala, the oldest person mentioned in the Bible, is commonly spelled with an "h" at the end, as in "Methuselah". However, the original spelling in Hebrew was "Mathushlaḥ", which does not include the letter "h". This discrepancy can be explained by the English tendency to add an "h" to words that end in "-a" in order to indicate a stressed syllable, as the "a" in Mathusala is stressed. The IPA phonetic transcription for Mathusala is /məˈθuːsələ/.
Mathusala is a proper noun derived from the biblical character Methuselah, who is mentioned in the Book of Genesis. According to the Bible, Mathusala was the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah. He is famously known for being the longest-lived human recorded in the Bible, having lived for a remarkable 969 years. Due to his extraordinary lifespan, his name has become synonymous with extreme old age or longevity.
In popular usage, the term "Mathusala" is often employed to describe someone who has reached an advanced age, typically in a hyperbolic or metaphorical sense. It represents the idea of great longevity or the perception of someone who has lived for an exceedingly long time.
Mathusala is also frequently referenced in literature, art, and popular culture to symbolize antiquity, ancient wisdom, or the passage of time. It serves as a metaphorical representation of an era or period spanning across millennia. In this context, the term Mathusala encompasses notions of deep knowledge, experience, and history. It is frequently used to evoke a sense of reverence for the past or to underscore the vastness of time.
The word "Mathusala" is derived from the Hebrew name "Methushelah" (מְתוּשֶׁלַח), which is found in the Old Testament Bible. In Hebrew, "Methushelah" is believed to mean "man of the dart" or "man of the javelin" (מַטְּשֵׁיחַ). The English form "Mathusala" has been used as a variant spelling of Methuselah.