# A.D. and B.C. What is the time called when Jesus Lived?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565 "2001-06-04T20:09:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565/21 "2001-06-05T07:25:16Z")

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And if anyone was going to start with a Year Zero, it would be the French Revolutionaries.

Now, if Computer Programmers start a revolution, THEN we’ll start with a Year Zero.

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565/22 "2001-06-05T11:47:44Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by labradorian \*  
> \*\*  
> Is your first-born child your “zeroeth child”? \*\*

No, but he’s the 0 element in my array of children 😃

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565/23 "2001-06-05T12:48:37Z")

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Given the presumed state of historiography in the time Dionysius Exiguus lived, I’m impressed as hell that he only missed it by four years or so.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-d-and-b-c-what-is-the-time-called-when-jesus-lived/67565/24 "2001-06-05T13:05:28Z")

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The answer to StephenG’s question: [Why is BC an English abbreviation while AD is a Latin one?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940930.html)

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