In the calendar, you will see 2 different terms between Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD). Those 2 are actually the same, but there are some differences between those 2.
Before Christ is the Latin term for before the Christian era.
Similarly, anno domini or AD can be translated as in the year of our lord, or in other words, it is a Latin phrase meaning “in the year”.
The majority of dates are based on Anno Domini or AD.
Summary Table
| BC | AD |
| To mention the era of Before Christ | To mention the era and the date |
| Starts after the incarnation of Christ | Starts of the date when Christ come |
What is BC?
Before Christ (BC) is a way of defining a date in terms of the Christian era. Before Christ was the time when the events occurred that we refer to as history, or more precisely, human history. Before Christ is also a term used to refer to what Christians believe was the period of time before the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
When we use Before Christ in our everyday speech, we are referring to something that happened before Jesus’ birth on December 25th. For example, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13). This took place before Christ and hence it is said that Jesus was baptized in “the days of John”.
Christians base their dating system on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, which they call Anno Domini or AD for short. In Anno Domini or AD, years are numbered from one until 999. The first year would be 1 AD and each year thereafter would be identified by its number alone, i.e., 1 AD 2 AD 3 AD etc.. The Roman calendar was converted into an Anno Domini calendar after Emperor Constantine I introduced Christianity as state religion in 312AD. For many centuries prior to this conversion it had been customary for dates,
What is Anno Domini?
Anno Domini (AD) is a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of our Lord”. It is used to identify a specific year within the Christian era.
Anno Domini is a relative term meaning “year of our Lord”. The Christian era is based on the time of Jesus’ birth.
A common misconception is that Anno Domini refers to “in the year of our Lord” but this is not the case.
Before Christ VS Anno Domini
Before Christ is a Latin term for before the Christian era. Similarly, anno domini or AD can be translated as in the year of our lord, or in other words, it is a Latin phrase meaning “in the year”. The majority of dates are based on Anno Domini or AD. There is no particular differences between those 2 terms.
