B.C.E is an abbreviation for 'Before Common Era', a non-religious alternative to the use of B.C. in designating the first period of the Gregorian calendar, the era of prehistory and much of antiquity. The zero date for BCE is the same as BC; in fact all the dates remain the same (e.g. 367 BCE / CE.) B.C.E is the partner of C.E. Unfortunately, the repetition of c and e means B.C.E can often be confused with C.E., especially by someone scanning quickly.