Anthropologist sula benet was sharing wine and conversation with a man in taenish,a small village in the republic of abkhasia, once part of the soviet union.judging the man to be about 70, she raised her glass and offered a toast to his long life. “May you live as long as moses,” she exclaimed. The gesture of goodwill fell flat: moses lived to 120,but benet’s companion was already 119.