AD vs. BC: Understanding the Year-Counting Systems

WEB AD: Anno Domini

AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for "in the year of the Lord." It is a way of counting years based on the estimated birth of Jesus Christ. Years before the birth of Christ are designated as "BC," or "Before Christ." AD and BC are used together to create a timeline that spans both before and after the birth of Jesus.

WEB BC: Before Christ

BC, or "Before Christ," is the term used to label years that occurred before the estimated birth of Jesus Christ. It is always written after the year, for example, "1000 BC." This system was developed by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century AD and has been widely used ever since.

Difference between AD and BC

The main difference between AD and BC is that AD refers to years after the birth of Christ, while BC refers to years before the birth of Christ. The two systems are numerically equivalent and indicate exactly the same dates.

BCE and CE: Alternative Dating Systems

In recent decades, alternative dating systems have been proposed to avoid religious connotations associated with AD and BC. BCE stands for "Before the Common Era," while CE stands for "Common Era." These systems are numerically equivalent to AD and BC, but they do not explicitly refer to Jesus Christ.