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Era of the Incarnation

chronology

Quick Summary

The Christian Era, also known as the Era of the Incarnation, marks the epoch of Jesus Christ's birth. This system, developed by Dionysius Exiguus around 525 CE, uses years reckoned as BC (before Christ) or AD (anno Domini, "in the year of the Lord"). While commonly believed to start at year 0, there is no year zero; instead, it transitions from 1 BC to 1 AD.12

The precise year of Jesus' birth is uncertain, with historians suggesting a range between 6 and 4 BC, based on biblical accounts of Herod the Great's reign. The doctrine of the Incarnation itself is central to Christianity, asserting that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ, who is both fully divine and fully human. This belief was further defined by early church councils, such as the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Chalcedon.234

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