​METHUSELAH, in the Old Testament, the seventh in descent from Adam, and father of Lamech. According to Genesis v. 2I he lived 969 years (see BIBLE! Old Testament, § 5, “ Chronology ”). The name itself has been much discussed. Holzinger interprets it as “ man of the javelin ”: Hommel prefers “ man of Selah, ” Selah being the Hebraized form of the Babylonian Sarrahu (i.e. the god Sin), and identifies it with the 'Apé/uktvos of Berossus. The form Methushael, used by the author of Gen. iv. 18 and by some commentators preferred for Gen. v. 21, is variously explained as meaning “ man of El ” (Ball), or as a transcription (Sayce) of the Babylonian Mutu-sa.-ili (possibly, “man of the goddess ”).