What does the term "BC" stand for when used in reference to ...
Before Christ (BC)
Before Christ (BC) is a term used to refer to dates that occurred before the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a way of counting years backwards from the traditionally accepted year of Christ's birth, which is considered as Year 1 AD (Anno Domini). The BC dating system counts down from Year 1 BC to 2 BC, 3 BC, and so on.
Origin of the Term
The term "Before Christ" was introduced by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, in the 6th century. He created the Anno Domini system to replace the previous Diocletian era, which was based on the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The BC system was established to provide a chronological framework for events before the birth of Christ.
Usage of BC in Dates
When using the BC system, the year is written before the abbreviation BC. For example, 100 BC represents the year 100 years before the birth of Christ. It is important to note that the BC system counts backwards, so the higher the number, the further back in time the event occurred.
Significance of BC
The BC dating system is commonly used in historical and archaeological contexts to establish the timeline of events that occurred before the birth of Christ. It provides a standardized way of referencing dates and helps historians and researchers organize and understand the sequence of events in history.