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AD and BC It is commonly thought that BC stands for "before Christ" and AD stands for "after death." This is only half correct. How could 1 B.C. have been "before Christ" and 1 A.D. been "after death"? BC does stand for "before Christ." AD actually stands for the Latin phrase "anno domini" which means "in the year of our Lord." The B.C. / A.D. dating system is not taught in the Bible. It actually was not fully implemented and accepted until several centuries after Jesus' death. It is interesting to note that the purpose of the BC / AD dating system was to make the birth of Jesus Christ the dividing point of world history. However, when the B.C. / A.D. system was being calculated, they actually made a mistake in pinpointing the year of Jesus' birth. Scholars later discovered that Jesus was actually born in around 4 BC, not 0 AD. That is not the crucial issue. The birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ are the "turning points" in world history. It is fitting, therefore, that Jesus Christ be the separation of "old" and "new." BC was "before Christ" and since His birth, we have been living "in the year of our Lord." Here is more input:
Any reference to the "Year 0" is also a misnomer. The first year before an occasion (such as the birth of a historical Jesus) would be the year 1 BC. The event would occupy no time (or maybe just one day, depending on your definitions) and the first year after that event would be the year 1 AD. Since the terms were unknown at the occasion itself, there was no problem. ( An archeologist once tried to claim he found a Roman coin dated 3 BC. Think about it.) The confusion over the actual date of the millenium was based on this. Since the first year of the first millenium was the year "0001", the first year of the third millenium was therefore the year "2001". The thousands digit is always one less than the number of the "millenium"; this is the same confusion about the hundreds digit being one less than the "century". 1901 was the first year of the twentieth century, 2001 the first year of the twenty-first century. TMI? Hope you find what you need.
Many recent writers, particularly in the scientific community, have recognized the uncertainty of "B.C." and "A.D." (some evidence suggests that Jesus may have been born around 2, 4 or 6 BC, for example!), and have adopted the notations B.C.E.--Before Common Era, and C.E.--Common Era--to reflect this.
Anno domini was invented 525 years after the alleged birth of Jesus; The Anno Domini system was developed by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus (born in Scythia Minor) in Rome in 525, as an outcome of his work on calculating the date of Easter.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_domini..
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_the_terms_AD_and_BC_when_specifying_a_year 4 BC: Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. 30 AD: Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven. Pentecost. Antioch (30 AD-350 AD): 37 AD: The martyrdom of St. Stephen. 44 AD: The martyrdom of St. James the apostle. 49 AD: COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM 62 AD: James, the president of the council, was martyred. 64 AD: Nero's Persecution (St. Peter & St. Paul were martyred). 70 AD: the Temple of Jerusalem destroyed by the Romans. The Early Church was persecuted in Jerusalem. Those who had been scattered went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word and proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. The heroes of this period were the Apostles and the Prophets. 95 AD: Domitian's Persecution. 110 AD: St Ignatius of Antioch was martyred. 156 AD: St Polycarp was martyred. 165 AD: St Justin was martyred. 177 AD: Martyrs of Lyons. 180 AD: Martyrs of Scilli. 192-211 AD: Septimius Severus' Persecution. 202 AD: St Irenaeus 1st theologian died. 215 AD: Clement of Alexandria died. 220 AD: Tertullian died. 237 AD: First church built in Syria. 249 AD: Decius' Persecution. 250 AD: St Anthony the Great (the Monk) was born.(250-356 AD). 253 AD: Origen died. 253-260 AD: Valerian's Persecution. 261 AD: The Persians burnt down Antioch. 283-305 AD: Diocletian's Persecution (a lot of martyrs). 290 AD: St Pachomius of Egypt (the monk) was born. (290-346 AD). 313 AD: Edict of Milan. 324 AD: Constantine, the Emperor, wins over to the Christian Church. 325 AD: COUNCIL OF NICAEA. The heroes of this period were the Martyrs. There were at least 5 major persecutions (Domitian's persecution, Septimus Severus', Decius', Valerian's, and Diocletian's persecutions). Because of the many heresies that arose in that period of time, especially Gnosticism, Marcionism, Montanism, Ebionism, Docetism, Adoptionism, Nazarianism, Donatism, and Arianism, the Holy Church organized herself appointing bishops to maintain the unity of belief and a moral life and presbyters to visit the sick, take care of the widows, orphans, and the poor, and to serve as judges. St. Maron & his Disciples (350-452 AD): 350 AD: St. John Chrysostom (350-407 AD) & St. Maron (350-410 AD) were born. 373 AD: St. Efrem died. 381 AD: COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 395 AD: The end of Paganism by Theodosius. 407 AD: St. John Chrysostom died. 410 AD: St. Maron died. 410 AD: Visigoths under king Alaric captured Rome. 410-420 AD: The Phoenicians of Jebbet Bsharre and Jebbet Mnaytrah converted to Christianity through Abraham the hermit, the disciple of St Maron. 430 AD: St. Augustine died. 431 AD: COUNCIL OF EPHESUS. 432 AD: St. Patrick arrived in Ireland. 451 AD: COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON. 452 AD: The building of Bet Moroon.
The heroes of this period were the monks and hermits who had to deny themselves, exercising the virtues of humility and chastity, serving their neighbors, giving testimony to the world. http://www.maronite-heritage.com/html/timeline1.html
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