The main difference between AD and BC is that AD is the period of time after the birth of Jesus Christ, while BC is the period of time before the birth of Jesus Christ.
AD and BC are two abbreviations we commonly use when we are talking about time and history. AD is the abbreviation that stands for ‘Anno Domini’ while BC is the abbreviation that stands for ‘Before Christ.’
Key Areas Covered
1. What is AD
– Definition, Years, Features
2. What is BC
– Definition, Years, Features
3. Similarities Between AD and BC
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between AD and BC
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
AD, Anno Domini, BC, BCE, Before Christ, CE
What is AD
AD is an abbreviation that stands for Anno Domini. In Latin, Anno Domini means the “Year of our Lord.” AD is used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Simply put, AD refers to the calendar era that occurred after the birth of Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, the accepted year of Christ’s birth is considered AD 1, and the year just before the birth year of Jesus Christ is considered 1 BC. This calendaring system originated in AD 525. However, it became popular only after AD 800. Another term for AD is CE. The abbreviation CE stands for the longer terms Christian Era, Common Era, or Current Era.
In the English language, the “AD” abbreviation is traditionally placed before the year number, just like in the Latin tradition; for example, AD 68, AD 52, etc. This is in contrast to the abbreviation BC, which always occurs after the year number. Apart from that, we frequently use the abbreviation AD after the number of a millennium or a century: second century AD or fourth millennium AD.
What is BC
The abbreviation BC stands for the longer term Before Christ. Simply put, BC involves the time period before the birth and time of Jesus Christ. It is believed that the abbreviation BC originated with Bede during the 8th century AD. The English term “before Christ” is therefore similar to the Latin version “ante vero incarnationis dominicae tempus” which means “the time before the Lord’s true incarnation.”
Another important thing to note about the BC era is that in the BC era, we number the years in reverse order: for example, the year 301 BC follows the year 302 BC. Moreover, some people use the abbreviation BCE instead of BC. Here. BCE stands for “Before the Common Era.”
Similarities Between AD and BC
- Both AD and BC abbreviations are related to a period of time in history.
- They are defined in relation to the birth and time of Jesus Christ.
Differences Between AD and BC
Definition
AD is the abbreviation that stands for Anno Domini while BC is the abbreviation that stands for Before Christ.
Time Period Involved
AD is the period of time after the birth of Jesus Christ, while BC is the period of time before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Other Names
AD is also known as CE, which stands for ‘Common Era,’ while BC is also known as BCE, which stands for ‘Before Common Era.’
Style of Writing
Traditionally, in the English language, we place the “AD” abbreviation before the year number, just like in the Latin tradition. But we always place the BC abbreviation after the year number. For instance, AD 525 and 302 BC.
Numbering Scheme
In AD, we number the years in chronological order: for example, the year AD 402 followed the year AD 401. In contrast, in the BC era, we number the years in reverse order: for example, the year 301 BC followed the year 302 BC.
Conclusion
The main difference between AD and BC is that AD is the period of time after the birth of Jesus Christ, while BC is the period of time before the birth of Jesus Christ. AD is the abbreviation that stands for ‘Anno Domini’ while BC is the abbreviation that stands for ‘Before Christ.’
Reference:
1. Coolman, Robert. “Keeping Time: The Origin of B.C. and A.D.” LiveScience, Purch, 14 Jan. 2022.
2. “Anno Domini.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2022.
Image Courtesy:
1. “A timeline of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world” By Nicolas M. Perrault – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
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