<P> The Anno Domini dating system was devised in 525 by Dionysius Exiguus to enumerate the years in his Easter table . His system was to replace the Diocletian era that had been used in an old Easter table because he did not wish to continue the memory of a tyrant who persecuted Christians . The last year of the old table , Diocletian 247 , was immediately followed by the first year of his table , AD 532 . When he devised his table , Julian calendar years were identified by naming the consuls who held office that year -- he himself stated that the `` present year '' was `` the consulship of Probus Junior '' , which was 525 years `` since the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ '' . Thus Dionysius implied that Jesus ' Incarnation occurred 525 years earlier , without stating the specific year during which his birth or conception occurred . `` However , nowhere in his exposition of his table does Dionysius relate his epoch to any other dating system , whether consulate , Olympiad , year of the world , or regnal year of Augustus ; much less does he explain or justify the underlying date . '' </P>
<P> The Anno Domini dating system was devised in 525 by Dionysius Exiguus to enumerate the years in his Easter table . His system was to replace the Diocletian era that had been used in an old Easter table because he did not wish to continue the memory of a tyrant who persecuted Christians . The last year of the old table , Diocletian 247 , was immediately followed by the first year of his table , AD 532 . When he devised his table , Julian calendar years were identified by naming the consuls who held office that year -- he himself stated that the `` present year '' was `` the consulship of Probus Junior '' , which was 525 years `` since the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ '' . Thus Dionysius implied that Jesus ' Incarnation occurred 525 years earlier , without stating the specific year during which his birth or conception occurred . `` However , nowhere in his exposition of his table does Dionysius relate his epoch to any other dating system , whether consulate , Olympiad , year of the world , or regnal year of Augustus ; much less does he explain or justify the underlying date . '' </P>
when did we start to use bc and ad
when did we start to use bc and ad
in 525
in 525