According to Genesis, what was Noah’s age when the floodwaters came upon the Earth?

According to Genesis, Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the Earth.

Genesis 7:6 gives Noah’s age as 600 at the beginning of the flood. Earlier passages describe him as 500 when he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth, while Genesis later records that he lived to 950. These numbers belong to the long lifespans presented in the biblical genealogy.

The age is a narrative timestamp, helping connect the flood to Noah’s family history. It is not presented as an estimate derived from archaeology or modern demographic records. Biblical translations generally preserve the same number, though chronology calculations can differ across textual traditions.

The figure is sometimes confused with Noah’s age when his sons were born or with his total lifespan. Those are separate details: Genesis associates 500 with fatherhood, 600 with the flood, and 950 with his death.