ABSTRACT
Bede's adoption of Anno Domini (AD) as the over-arching chronological structure for his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum was a major step towards the widespread acceptance of this method of counting years nowadays often referred to as Common Era (CE). Bede's innovative achievement was inspired by his understanding of chronology and theology, and his adroitness in combining both to create a synthetic account of his people's history. The legacy of Bede's novel appropriation of AD can still be seen today in our continued use of AD/CE. However, Bede's intentions far exceeded an attempt to implement a straightforward chronological system. His anno ab incarnatione Domini dates work on a number of levels simultaneously and condense several inter-related theological concepts. Bede's AD years distil a sophisticated orthodox Christology. With every AD date Bede asserted the true meaning of the Incarnation and elucidated the miracle of salvation which will be fulfilled in the heavenly celebration at the end of time.
