# When and how was how were the years BC decided? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684 "2009-06-04T11:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/1 "2009-06-04T11:59:49Z")
It is my understanding that the Torah wasn’t used until 500 BC, and I wondered how, who, and why things were called BC. Did the Aisian people etc. use the same amout of years? Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/2 "2009-06-04T12:09:13Z")
BC = Before Christ. Nothing to do with the Torah. Muslims base their dating off the Hegira. Romans used AUC - Anno Urbe Conditae - and other societies past and present used and continue to use other dating systems. The whole BC / AD system was fixed by Dionysus Exiguus. Wiki article [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini). ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/3 "2009-06-04T12:13:15Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > It is my understanding that the Torah wasn’t used until 500 BC, and I wondered how, who, and why things were called BC. Did the Aisian people etc. use the same amout of years? > > Monavis > **[Anno Domini | History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_Christ#History)** > > The anno Domini dating system was devised in 525 by Dionysius Exiguus to enumerate years in his Easter table. His system was to replace the Diocletian era that had been used in older Easter tables, as he did not wish to continue the memory of a tyrant who persecuted Christians. The last year of the old table, Diocletian Anno Martyrium 247, was immediately followed by the first year of his table, anno Domini 532. When Dionysius devised his table, Julian calendar years were identified by naming Bon... Briefly, a 6th century monk began using the system to compute when Easter would arrive. Very different systems were in use in the various cultures of Europe, Asia Minor, the Mideast, Asia and the Americas, prior, during, and after. It didn’t really catch on, as far as wikipedia is concerned, until Venerable Bede really needed to merge traditional British myth/legend/fact/story\* with Biblical myth/legend/fact/story\*. \*Pick whichever one you want, I’m not looking for an argument. _[EDIT]_ Heh, I’m too slow with the wikipedia searches. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/4 "2009-06-05T01:39:42Z")
The most common dating system in antiquity (and for some time after) was dating by the rule of kings, etc. e.g. “in Nth year of the reign of King/Emperor/Caesar X such-and-such happened” Most contemporary records describe events this way, and modern(-ish) historians convert these in AD/BC for the benefit of modern readers. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/5 "2009-06-05T02:53:03Z")
Everything you ever could possibly want to ask about the calendar: [Introduction](http://www.tondering.dk/claus/calendar.html) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/6 "2009-06-05T07:10:35Z")
Are these ancient coins I have with the date 136 B.C. stamped on them authentic? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/7 "2009-06-05T11:29:44Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Are these ancient coins I have with the date 136 B.C. stamped on them authentic? > 😉 Nope. They were actually created in 24 B.C. and backdated to make them more valuable. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/8 "2009-06-05T11:33:58Z")
Herod The Great died in 4 BC so if we accept the emphasis which the Gospels place on his role in the Nativity then Christ’s birth would not have been any later. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/9 "2009-06-05T12:29:17Z")
Thanks for your help and sites. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/10 "2009-06-05T20:20:09Z")
A couple of Cecil’s columns. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1372/what-year-numbering-system-was-used-in-the-time-of-christ](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1372/what-year-numbering-system-was-used-in-the-time-of-christ) > **[Why is BC an English abbreviation while AD is a Latin one?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342331/why-is-bc-an-english-abbreviation-while-ad-is-a-latin-one)** ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/11 "2009-06-05T20:40:23Z")
My calender differs from that of Denis the Short in having a year 0 between 1BC and 1AD. Thus for me, this millenium began on Jan. 1, 2000. Much simpler that way. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/12 "2009-06-05T20:52:30Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > My calender differs from that of Denis the Short in having a year 0 between 1BC and 1AD. Thus for me, this millenium began on Jan. 1, 2000. Much simpler that way. But then you have to subtract 1 from all BC dates, e.g., for you Christ was born in 3 BC. Very confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/13 "2009-06-05T21:23:40Z")
> [@](#): > > My calender differs from that of Denis the Short in having a year 0 between 1BC and 1AD. Thus for me, this millenium began on Jan. 1, 2000. Much simpler that way. But then, by your calendar, it’s still only 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/14 "2009-06-05T22:51:59Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > But then you have to subtract 1 from all BC dates, e.g., for you Christ was born in 3 BC. Very confusing. > [@Chronos](#): > > But then, by your calendar, it’s still only 2008. Come on, come on, one _or_ the other, not both. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-was-how-were-the-years-bc-decided/498684/15 "2009-06-05T23:06:12Z")
There are various regional Hindu calendars, none of which are really in use anymore. Parts of the oldest ones (the lunisolar bits) date back to the 12th century BC. There is a modern “Indian National Calendar” which is used alongside the Gregorian calendar in India, based on the ancient _Shalivahana_ calendar, which counts from 78 AD.