Israeli woman claims to be world's oldest person

A woman has declared herself the oldest living person after her birth certificate was uncovered, showing she is 120.

Mariam Amash rises every morning at 5am, walks unaided, and attributes her longevity to a diet rich in vegetables.

"Yes, I am the oldest person in the world," she told the BBC, with her family crowding around her.

"I eat, I drink, and I take showers. I hope to keep going for another 10 years," she said.

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Mariam Amash claims to be the world's oldest woman

According to her birth certificate, issued by the Ottoman Empire authorities, she was born near her current home in the village of Jisr az-Zarka in 1888.

A devout Muslim, she has made the haj pilgrimage to Mecca five times - most recently in 1990, when she was only 102.

Amash has 10 children, 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren, and 30 great-great-grandchildren. Her newest great-granddaughter is just one week old.

She attended the celebrations for the new baby, blessing her according to traditional Muslim custom.

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Ms Amash attributes her longevity to a diet rich in vegetables

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest living person in the world is Edna Parker of Shelbyville, Indiana in the the United States. Parker is 114 years old.

Amash's age only came to light last week when she applied to the local branch of the Israeli Interior Ministry to renew her identity card.

Moshe Hazut, a local minstry official, said her Ottoman birth certificate appeared genuine but might not be correct.

"The woman was born during the Ottoman period, a time when the population registry was very inaccurate. It is quite possible that she is younger than reported, or even older," Hazut said.

He said that Amash arrived at the office with her great-great granddaughter, who served as her translator, "but she was perfectly capable of walking by herself." "Her hearing is slightly impaired, but other than that she seemed fine, God bless her!" he said.

Amash lives in the Arab village of Jisr az-Zarka near Hadera in northern Israel, surrounded by many of her family.

"She rises every morning around five for prayers," said one of her grandsons, Majid Amash, 46, an engineer.

"She then goes for a walk and then spends most of her day with the family. She recognises all of us." But he said his grandmother's long-term memory is fuzzy.

The world's oldest resident has one piece of cautionary advice for younger generations.

"They drink too much Arak," she said, referring to a popular Arabic alcoholic drink that is forbidden to devout Muslims.

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