# Backlasher, I Need An Answer



## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

In most all of my bibles and collection I see time-lines showing Christ's birth into this world as circa 4 - 6 B.C. All these years I understood "A.D." to be "After Death" which would put year one at circa 30 - 33 after Christ's rising. Please explain. TIA CF?


----------



## Guest (Apr 18, 2006)

ComeFrom? said:


> In most all of my bibles and collection I see time-lines showing Christ's birth into this world as circa 4 - 6 B.C. All these years I understood "A.D." to be "After Death" which would put year one at circa 30 - 33 after Christ's rising. Please explain. TIA CF?


A.D. stands for the Latin phrase "Anno Domini" which stands for "In the Year of our Lord" and refers to the birth, not the death of Christ.
Many scholars now think Jesus was born up to half a dozen years before the year that the later day church decided to call 1 A.D. ~ There is also some fairly convincing argument that Jesus was born in the spring and not during the early winter. It is all fascinating, but really just trivia and not important to faith.

:rybka:


----------



## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

Very enlightning. Just today I was noticing that the gospels were mainly written 40-80 ad. I was thinking that the authors must have been very elderly when they wrote them but now I can subtract 33 years off that and it makes much more sense. FYI dates written ad Matthew-60's, Mark 50's, Luke 60, John 85-90. Luke also wrote Acts in 61.


----------



## coachlaw (Oct 26, 2005)

Every year I get a new crop of students who think A.D. means after death. It doesn't matter if I am teaching 7th graders or 12th graders. They are equally misinformed. I have a little introductory history lesson that covers things like this and inevitably I have students who want to argue that, "My teacher last year told me that and I believe her!" 

As Jaw pointed out, A.D. means Anno Domini (The year of our Lord)

There are some other glaring mistakes teachers pass on to children. Here are some facts.

Columbus was lost and bad at math. Everyone knew the world was round already. 

George Washington did tell lies. He was not a good general. He lost most of his battles, but he did learn from his mistakes and he was persistent enough to keep a tattered army together. He did not cut down a cherry tree. His teeth were not wooden. They were made of polished stones. 

Abraham Lincoln was not honest. He did not free any slaves. 

George Washington Carver did a great deal of things with peanuts, but he did not invent peanut butter.

And finally, my favorite. Yes, we have only 50 states. There are 52 weeks in a year and 52 cards in a deck. But we have only 50 states.

Yes, most of us take these things as common knowledge, but much of it has become all too uncommon.

I once had a principal come over the PA and talk about Washington and how he was the greatest general of all time who never once lost a battle. I was mortified. He is now a social studies teacher.

Sorry for the rant. 

Jaw is right though. None of these things are really important to faith. They are important to history though. - Coach


----------



## backlasher (Dec 20, 2004)

Jaw was right on. I guess the Leader of the Roman Empire was a better ruler than a calendar maker. 
Modern research can shed light on what the scriptures say (as long as that research doesn't contradict what scripture says). Questions about when Jesus was born aren't nearly as important as the fact that he was born.


----------



## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

Thanks for ya'll's input. That answers my question about the "A.D." thing. I also agree the date thing is trivia. I bought an NIV version of what is called the Archeological Bible full of recent photos of the holy land, and alot of surrounding regions and peoples mentioned in the bible including Rome, Romans, Sanhedrin, etc., etc., etc.

The book is just chocked full of valuable information. The "Garden Tomb," traditionally believed to possibly be the location of Jesus' burial, the inside of the prison cell believed to have housed Peter and Paul and a ton of culteral and historical notes.
Again, thank you for your replies, CF?


----------

