[Sarumian]

In regard of Faramir I tend to think that his long lifespan was determined by the combination of his ancestry and his personal achievements. I think, everyone who found strength to reject The Ring was somehow rewarded for that in some way. Moreover, both king Elessar and Faramir were Gandalf's disciples, they became the wielders of his wisdom (and Gandalf is the Spirit of Wisdom) in the world where magic was waning.

I always felt that Tolkien said too little about Faramir's role after the king was restored. We know, he was made a Prince of Ithilien and ruled Gondor in the king's absence. But I thought as a keeper of Gandalf's legacy and lore of Gondor, Faramir should have become a great teacher and established the Academy of Ithilien, where he taught - something the king would have never been able to do as kingship is too demanding business. Honestly, I expected something like this from our Professor, who said that of all characters Faramir is the closest to the author.