Q&A Home > C > Calendar

Was Jesus really born in 4 B.C.? What does it mean by A.D. (is it after Christ?)

There should be no doubts or confusion that our Lord Jesus Christ had a profound impact on the whole world. His birth marked an indisputable division in history and it continues to identify the time in which we are now living. B.C. stands for "Before Christ" and A.D. is Latin for "Anno Domini" meaning "In the Year of Our Lord," marking the reign of Christ the King. Actually, the full meaning is "Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi " meaning "In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The B.C/A.D. dating system was put into effect around the year 525 A.D. by a monk named Dionysius, who was originally charged with computing the dates of the celebration of the Holy Resurrection. It is believed that there may have been some miscalculations when the system was initially put in place. Later discoveries revealed that the birth of our Lord may have actually been earlier, perhaps around 4-6 B.C.