does he symbolize anything else?
His age is used to give the impression that part of Genesis takes place in a very distant past.
Methuselah
 Chronicles and the Gospel of Luke. 

His life is described in further detail in extra-biblical religious texts such as the Book of Enoch, Slavonic Enoch, and the Book of Moses. Bible commentators have offered various explanations as to why the Book of Genesis describes him as having died at such an advanced age; some believe that Methuselah's age is the result of a mistranslation, while others believe that his age is used to give the impression that part of Genesis takes place in a very distant past. Methuselah's name has become synonymous with longevity, and he has been portrayed and referenced in film, television and music.
who lived for many years in the bible Methuselah. has he been mentioned in any other sacred texts? Yes, in the Book of Jubilees and the Rabbinic literature. what is the first one about? It is an ancient Jewish religious work of 50 chapters. did any early written records of this book survive? Yes, extensive fragments among the Dead Sea Scrolls and four complete Ge'ez texts. where were the former discovered? Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, near Ein Feshkha on the northern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank. how does this sea get its name? Hebrew, meaning "sea of salt". what are the climatic conditions like here? Hot desert climate. is this place mentioned in the bible? Yes. what animals are found here? Algae and halobacteria. how was this formed? There are 2 theories - one is that the Dead Sea lies in a true rift zone and the other is that its a consequence of a "step-over" discontinuity along the Dead Sea Transform, creating an extension of the crust with consequent subsidence. what are the cultural significance of the biblical character mentioned earlier? It has become a synonym for longevity. what legends surround him? He serves the symbolic function of linking the Creation and the Flood.
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Methuselah [SEP] Introduction
Methuselah () ( "Məṯūšélaḥ", in pausa "Məṯūšā́laḥ", "Man of the javelin" or "Death of Sword"; "Mathousalá") was a biblical patriarch and a figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Said to have died at the age of 969, he lived the longest of all figures mentioned in the Bible. According to the Book of Genesis, Methuselah was the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah. Elsewhere in the Bible, Methuselah is mentioned in genealogies in 1st Chronicles and the Gospel of Luke. His life is described in further detail in extra-biblical religious texts such as the Book of Enoch, Slavonic Enoch, and the Book of Moses.