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Keeping time: The origin of B.C. and A.D.


Grim Reaper 6

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The terms "A.D." and "B.C." have their roots in Christianity. "A.D." stands for anno domini (Latin for "in the year of the lord"), and it refers specifically to the birth of Jesus Christ. "B.C." stands for "before Christ."  The system labels years based on a traditional notion of when Jesus was born — with the "A.D." denoting years after his birth and "B.C." designating the years that predate his birth. In English, it is common for "A.D." to precede the year, so that the translation of "A.D. 2022" would read "in the year of our lord 2022." In recent years, an alternative form of B.C./A.D. has gained traction. Many publications use "C.E.," or "common era," and "B.C.E.," or "before common era" in order to make non-Christians more comfortable using the system. Before we talk about how and why the system was invented, let's get some historical context. https://www.livescience.com/45510-anno-domini.htm

Anno Domini: the Origins of the Christian Era (review) https://muse.jhu.edu/article/185632/summary

 

 
 

 

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