 The term "Common Era" can be found in English as early as 1708, and became more widely used in the mid-19th century by Jewish religious scholars.In the later 20th century, the use of CE and BCE was popularized in academic and scientific publications as a culturally neutral term.It is also used by some authors and publishers who wish to emphasize sensitivity to non-Christians by not explicitly referencing Jesus as "Christ" and "Dominus" ("Lord") through use of the abbreviation "AD".