From early days we are taught at cheder to use BCE/CE (Before Common Era/Common Era) for dates in preference to BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, In the Year of Our Lord). The terms CE/BCE were actually introduced by Protestant Bible scholars who considered them more neutral.
But the Jewish Bible scholar James Kugel was surprised to find an Orthodox colleague happily using BC and AD, as he recounted at the recent Limmud conference.
How come, Professor Kugel asked?
- "Well, BC stands for Before Christianity?" the elder don explained.
- "And AD?"
- "After dat."