1. The Garden of Eden
In the Genesis stories about the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given eternal life. It was not until they sinned against God the death and disease were introduced into the world.
2. The Quest for the Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is said to be the chalice out of which Jesus and His disciples drank from during the Last Supper. Legend had it that anyone who drank from the Holy Grail would be granted an extraordinary long life. This prompted many of the Grail quests and legends.
3. The Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth was a spring that Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon went looking for in Florida in 1513. It was said that anyone who drinks from the Fountain would have his or her youth restored.
4. Shangri La
Shangri La was the name of a fictional place in a 1933 novel entitled Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Shangri La has since entered into the culture as a hidden, perfect place often associated with long life, health, and happiness. Often perceived as a secluded valley, Shangri La has been sought by researchers and adventurers.
5. Methuselah
According to the Book of Genesis (5:27), Methuselah lived 969 years. He is the father of Lamech (who he sired at age 187) and the grandfather of Noah. Methuselah died in the year of the Great Flood.
6. Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was an ancient Babylonia king who went on a quest for eternal life. In the quest, he fails to fulfill the command to stay awake for 7 days and 7 nights and the secret of immortality is taken from him.
7. The Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley, in Pakistan, is said to be a place that fosters long life. Legend has it that the Hunza people routinely live until 90 in good health with many living as long as 120. The Hunza people do live healthy into old age. They eat a diet primarily of fruits, grains, and vegetables.
8. The Vilcabamba
Many of the inhabitants of the Vilcabamba Valley, in the southern region of Ecuador, are reported to reach 100 and beyond in good health. Some people attribute this longevity to the natural mineral water. The claims of the Vilcabamba to have reached ages of 120 and beyond are probably exaggerated.
9. The Abkhasia
The Abkhasia are a people living in the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia. They have a reputation for extremely long and healthy lives. In the 1960s and 1970s, claims were made for lifespans of 150, marriages at 110 and claims of fatherhood at 136. The greatest claim, made by the propaganda-obsessed Soviets, was that one man, Shirali Muslimov, was 168 years old. The Soviets honored him with a postage stamp.
10. Greek Legends
The legends of the Greeks are filled with the adventures of the immortal gods and humans who seek immortality through their deeds or through the acts of the gods.
