When did BC become BCE?

Pleasuredome

i need to know when the WTS started to use BCE/CE instead of BC/AD. was this because secular chronology is said to be out by 2 years, and that jesus was really born in 2BC?

so what year did all this start?

Pleasuredome

somone answer quick! i need to know! so i can finish off my essay and go bed

Pleasuredome

and is there any WTS article that adresses this issue?

waiting

Actually, I don't know.

But interestingly enough, I was reading an article in the Smithsonian magazine (I think ) - and they used "BCE" also.

I thought the WTBTS were the only ones doing that?

waiting

the interesting thing is waiting is this: if its true that the WTS society started using BCE/CE around the time of Knorr, then Russell would have used BC/AD. wouldnt this make a difference to the 607/1914 date? just say that 2BC was jesus' YOB, wouldnt it mean that 607 should be 609, or 1914 be 1916? if the WTS claim jesus returned in 1914CE, that make it 1916AD our time.

Guest 77

Nathan Natas

"B.C." means Before Christ. B.C.E. means Before the Common Era, and is considered to be a more accurate terminology. Dates in BC or BCE are interchangeable - they correspond directly with each other. The same applies to the "old" A.D. (anno domini - year of the lord) and C.E. (common era).

asleif_dufansdottir

But interestingly enough, I was reading an article in the Smithsonian magazine (I think ) - and they used "BCE" also.

I thought the WTBTS were the only ones doing that?

Nope. It's actually considered the correct way to note dating by academia. The one thing the JWs do that's actually seriously academic.

DJ

Asleif,

Somehow I just can't fully buy into the serious academic theory with the jw's I think that they just loved BCE simply because it doesn't stand for BEFORE CHRIST> and CE because it doesn't stand for DAY OF OUR LORD. Think about it, you know how they don't like the word, Lord and they certainly wouldn't want to give 'worship' to Jesus by using BC for something as important as calendarizing. However, academically correct it may be, I don't think that was their driving force behind the decision.

Scully

If you do any reading of Jewish history, they also use the BCE and CE references, in conjuction with the equivalent for the Jewish calendar.

Love, Scully

When did BC become BCE?

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