Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!dfs
From: dfs@doe.carleton.ca (David F. Skoll)
Subject: BCE (was Re: (Astronomical) Julian Date Source Wanted)
Message-ID: <dfs.671832823@wesley>
Sender: news@ccs.carleton.ca (news)
Organization: Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
References: <9873.2808dac2@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu> <40790007@hpcvra.cv.hp.com.>
Date: 16 Apr 91 20:13:43 GMT

In <40790007@hpcvra.cv.hp.com.> everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com. (Everett Kaser)
writes:

>I've never heard of 'BCE', and I have no idea
>what happened 4713 years ago (or more) that 'BCE' years would be based on.

'BCE' means "Before the Common Era" and is exactly equivalent to 'BC'

I suspect that the original poster was Jewish, since Jews often use
'BCE' and 'CE' rather than 'BC' or 'AD' since they wish to retain the
convenience of the common calendar without tying it to a religious
event which is not meaningful to them.

--
David F. Skoll