כְבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה
Why does Rabbi Elazar say he is "כְבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה" - "like 70 years" - rather than simply, "I am 70-years-old"?
One legend is that when Rabbi Elazar was appointed the head of the Sanhedrin as a young man, he aged overnight (or went grey overnight) in order to give the appearance of wisdom usually bestowed by old age.
But it would be simpler to translate his words as "I am around 70 years old". Rabbi Elazar is simply unsure exactly how old he is, knowing only that he is approximately 70. This uncertainty would be perfectly normal in an era before births were documented as a matter of routine.
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