Difference between revisions of "B.C.E."
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==Origins== | ==Origins== | ||
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Some Jewish academics were already using the ''CE'' and ''BCE'' abbreviations by the mid-1800s, such as in 1856, when Rabbi and historian, [[Morris Jacob Raphall]] used the abbreviation in his book, [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC02551244&id=8mkuPwXVoicC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=%22B.+C.+E.%22&as_brr=1#PPA1,M1 ''Post-Biblical History of The Jews'']. | Some Jewish academics were already using the ''CE'' and ''BCE'' abbreviations by the mid-1800s, such as in 1856, when Rabbi and historian, [[Morris Jacob Raphall]] used the abbreviation in his book, [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC02551244&id=8mkuPwXVoicC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=%22B.+C.+E.%22&as_brr=1#PPA1,M1 ''Post-Biblical History of The Jews'']. | ||
| − | + | ===Other associations=== | |
An adapted translation of ''Common Era'' into Latin as ''Era Vulgaris'' (instead of ''Vulgaris Aera''<ref name=VulgarisAera />) was adopted in the 20th century by some followers of [[Aleister Crowley]], and thus the abbreviation "e.v." or "EV" may sometimes be seen as a replacement for AD. [http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/EV|title=Era vulgaris]Thelemapedia: The Encyclopaedia of Thelema and Magick, [http://www.egc.org.uk/egc/egc_thelema.shtml] What is Thelema?|accessdate=2007-12-07 | An adapted translation of ''Common Era'' into Latin as ''Era Vulgaris'' (instead of ''Vulgaris Aera''<ref name=VulgarisAera />) was adopted in the 20th century by some followers of [[Aleister Crowley]], and thus the abbreviation "e.v." or "EV" may sometimes be seen as a replacement for AD. [http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/EV|title=Era vulgaris]Thelemapedia: The Encyclopaedia of Thelema and Magick, [http://www.egc.org.uk/egc/egc_thelema.shtml] What is Thelema?|accessdate=2007-12-07 | ||
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In some formerly [[Communism|Communist]], predominantly Christian societies, the designation ''New Era'' (or ''Our Era'') was encouraged by Communist authorities to replace BC and AD. In [[Bulgaria]], for example, ''пр.н.е.'' (''преди новата ера'', before the new era, or ''преди нашата ера'', before our era) and ''н.е.'' (''от новата ера'', of the new era, or ''от нашата ера'', of our era) are still widely used by atheists/agnostics instead of traditional ''пр.Хр.'' (''преди Христа'', BC) and ''сл.Хр.'' (''след Христа'', after Christ), which were unofficially reinstituted after the Communist period.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The Chinese use the term "[[Chinese era name#How the Era System worked|Common Era]] (公元)." | In some formerly [[Communism|Communist]], predominantly Christian societies, the designation ''New Era'' (or ''Our Era'') was encouraged by Communist authorities to replace BC and AD. In [[Bulgaria]], for example, ''пр.н.е.'' (''преди новата ера'', before the new era, or ''преди нашата ера'', before our era) and ''н.е.'' (''от новата ера'', of the new era, or ''от нашата ера'', of our era) are still widely used by atheists/agnostics instead of traditional ''пр.Хр.'' (''преди Христа'', BC) and ''сл.Хр.'' (''след Христа'', after Christ), which were unofficially reinstituted after the Communist period.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The Chinese use the term "[[Chinese era name#How the Era System worked|Common Era]] (公元)." | ||
| − | + | ==Support== | |
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Supporters of Common Era notation promote it as a religiously-neutral notation suited for cross-cultural communication due to compatibility with [[religious toleration]] and [[religious pluralism]]. | Supporters of Common Era notation promote it as a religiously-neutral notation suited for cross-cultural communication due to compatibility with [[religious toleration]] and [[religious pluralism]]. | ||
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* Both BCE and CE are used as suffixes, unlike BC/AD where BC is used as a suffix and AD as a prefix. This can be beneficial for computer usage.<ref name=espenak /> | * Both BCE and CE are used as suffixes, unlike BC/AD where BC is used as a suffix and AD as a prefix. This can be beneficial for computer usage.<ref name=espenak /> | ||
| − | + | ==Opposition== | |
Efforts to replace AD/BC notation with CE/BCE notation have given rise to opposition. | Efforts to replace AD/BC notation with CE/BCE notation have given rise to opposition. | ||
Arguments against using the Common Era designation include: | Arguments against using the Common Era designation include: | ||
| − | * | + | *The year-numbering system most widely used in the world is the one based on the supposed year of the Incarnation of Jesus, and removal of all reference to him in the era notation for that system is perceived by some Christians as offensive.<ref>Whitney, Susan, "Altering history? Changes have some asking 'Before what?'" The Deseret News, December 2, 2006. Whitney, for instance, quotes Lori Wentz, who argues that, "Whether or not someone believes in Christ, the culture and politics of his time eventually came together to form our way of keeping historical time...It's 2006 this year for anyone on Earth that is participating in day-to-day world commerce and communication. Two thousand six years since what? Most people know, regardless of their belief system, and aren't offended by a historical fact." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20061202/ai_n16891064</ref> |
| − | * | + | *The alteration of BC/AD to BCE/CE partially effaces an important contribution of Christianity to world culture. <ref>Rodriguez, Nancy C. and Peter Smith, "Ky. school board to look at replacing A.D., B.C. in dates", The Courier-Journal, April 11, 2006.</ref> |
| − | * It is inconsistent to remove this religious reference and not remove other religiously-derived words such as the day names or month names derived originally from various pagan deities, such as January = [[Janus]]' month, Wednesday = [[Woden]]'s day, Thursday = [[Thor]]'s day, Friday = [[Freya]]'s day.<ref name=RTO-CE>{{cite web|url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/ce.htm|title=Controversy over the use of "CE" and "BCE" to identify dates in history|accessmonthday=July 18|accessyear=2007}}</ref>. | + | *It is inconsistent to remove this religious reference and not remove other religiously-derived words such as the day names or month names derived originally from various pagan deities, such as January = [[Janus]]' month, Wednesday = [[Woden]]'s day, Thursday = [[Thor]]'s day, Friday = [[Freya]]'s day.<ref name=RTO-CE>{{cite web|url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/ce.htm|title=Controversy over the use of "CE" and "BCE" to identify dates in history|accessmonthday=July 18|accessyear=2007}}</ref>. |
| − | * The use of identifiers which have common spellings is more ambiguous than the use of identifiers with divergent spellings. Both C.E. and B.C.E. have in common the letters "C.E.", which is more likely to cause confusion than identifiers with clearly different spelling.<ref name=RTO-CE/> | + | *The use of identifiers which have common spellings is more ambiguous than the use of identifiers with divergent spellings. Both C.E. and B.C.E. have in common the letters "C.E.", which is more likely to cause confusion than identifiers with clearly different spelling.<ref name=RTO-CE/> |
| − | * The BCE/CE promotion distracts from the adoption of the system already used by astronomers, i.e. 0 for 1 BC, -1 for 2 BC, etc., which does resolve this problem and does not use any of the contentious acronyms.<ref>History Today, June 1999, p. 60, Darian Hiles, letter: "Of Dates and Decimals"</ref> | + | *The BCE/CE promotion distracts from the adoption of the system already used by astronomers, i.e. 0 for 1 BC, -1 for 2 BC, etc., which does resolve this problem and does not use any of the contentious acronyms.<ref>History Today, June 1999, p. 60, Darian Hiles, letter: "Of Dates and Decimals"</ref> |
*"If we do end by casting aside the A.D./B.C. convention, almost certainly some will argue that we ought to cast aside as well the conventional numbering system itself, given its Christian basis." <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bartleby.com/68/20/120.html|title=The Columbia Guide to Standard American English|year=1993|author=Kenneth G. Wilson|accessdate=2007-12-12}}</ref> | *"If we do end by casting aside the A.D./B.C. convention, almost certainly some will argue that we ought to cast aside as well the conventional numbering system itself, given its Christian basis." <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bartleby.com/68/20/120.html|title=The Columbia Guide to Standard American English|year=1993|author=Kenneth G. Wilson|accessdate=2007-12-12}}</ref> | ||
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*[[Calendar reform]] | *[[Calendar reform]] | ||
*Within the context of [[archeology]] and [[geology]], one also encounters the term [[Before present]] (also known as ''before physics'') with the abbreviation '''BP''' to indicate dates in years before 1950. | *Within the context of [[archeology]] and [[geology]], one also encounters the term [[Before present]] (also known as ''before physics'') with the abbreviation '''BP''' to indicate dates in years before 1950. | ||
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[[Category:General Reference]] | [[Category:General Reference]] | ||
Revision as of 10:27, 27 July 2008
Origins
The Anno Domini system was devised by the monk Dionysius Exiguus, while he was, in Rome, working on a table to establish future dates for Easter. When he devised his table, Julian calendar years were identified by regnal years and by naming the consuls who held office that year. He wished to replace the Diocletian years that had been used, because he did not wish to continue the memory of a persecutor of Christians. In the process, he determined a year for the beginning of the life of Jesus. Whether he intended the year of Jesus' birth or his conception is an issue still debated. Many historians and Biblical scholars place the birth of Jesus from one to about six years earlier than Dionysius calculated. These scholars include D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992, 54, 56; Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels, Scribner's, 1977, p. 71; John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew, Doubleday, 1991–, vol. 1:214; E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, Penguin Books, 1993, pp. 10–11, and Ben Witherington III, "Primary Sources," Christian History 17 (1998) No. 3:12–20. He gave a method to calculate "annos ab incarnatione Domini nostri Jesu Christi" (Latin for years since the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ). Dionysius, Nineteen Year Cycle of Dionysius [1] [2], Nineteen Year Cycle of Dionysius, "In this document, Dionysius used both "annis Christi" and "anni Domini nostri Jesu Christi" for titles and headings. He also used "annos Domini", "annos ab incarnatione Domini nostri Jesu Christi", "annos incarnationis Domini nostri Jesu Christi", "annus ab incarnatione Domini nostri Jesu Christi", and "anni ab incarnatione Domini". He made no reference in this document to years before Jesus. He himself stated that the then current year was 525 years since the incarnation of Jesus.
Some two centuries later in northern England, the Venerable Bede began the process of bringing the AD system Dionysius had invented into general use in Western Europe, when he (Bede) used it to date the events in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, completed in 731. Bede also used another Latin term "ante uero incarnationis dominicae tempus" ("the time before the Lord's true incarnation"), equivalent to the English "before Christ", to identify years before the first year of this era.[3], Historiam ecclesiasticam gentis Anglorum, Book 1, Chapter 2, first sentence. According to the General Chronology article in the 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia, usage of AD gradually became more common in Europe in the latter part of the ninth century, and, while it occurred occasionally in papal documents of the time of John XIII (965-972), it was not the rule before the 12th century.[4], B. M. Lersch, Einleitung in die Chronologie, 2 vols., Freiburg, 1899 (vol. ii. on Christian Calendar) p. 233. In 1422, Portugal became the last Western European country to switch to the Anno Domini system.[5], General Chronology, New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
The term "Common Era" is traced back in English to its appearance as "Vulgar Era" (from the Latin word vulgus, the common people, i.e. those who are not royalty) at a time when vulgar did not mean "crudely indecent". In Latin, Common Era is written as Vulgaris Aera. The first instance of this found so far in Latin is in a 1762 book by Laurentis Joanne Bertie, entitled Ecclesiasticae historiae breviarium. Editio, post secundam venetam. Pars prima quae compectitur Chronologiae Rudimenta. Pars secunda quae progreditur usque ad unnum Vulgaris Aera; [6] A 1716 book by Dean Humphrey Prideaux says, "The vulgar era, by which we now compute the years from his incarnation." Merriam Webster accepts the date of 1716, but does not give the source. [7], Merriam Webster Online entry for Vulgar Era,
