YEAR 2000
Why is year 2000 year 2000?
Our counting of the years is based on ancient Hebrew beliefs. In a book attributed to Enoch, but obviously coming from the same Hellenistic period as the Testament of Levi, world history is divided into 'weeks', i.e. world-weeks (7x70 = 490 years, each). It says there will be ten world-weeks to the end of time, i.e. 4900 years. The last millennium of the world would begin in the World Year 3900.
The beginning of Herod's reign coincided with the start of the last millennium of world history (3900 or 41 BC). Herod therefore saw his rule as very significant. With the help of religious leaders, including Essenes, he initiated a vigorous missionary effort from the Palestinian Jews to the Diaspora Jews and Gentiles in the cultural centres of the Mediterranean world. The Judaism taught to the Diaspora was a modified, Hellenized version. The Herodian religious organization in the Roman empire was subsequently taken over by the Christians.
All year dates also had to be re-set a year later because the Herods, counting a zero year from creation, placed all dates a year later than the Essenes. Therefore, 40 BC was designated as year 3900.
In the Essene practice time could also be measured in generations of 40 years. According to Herod’s plan, the first generation (his own) of the last millennium would be devoted to gaining 600,000 members of the New Israel in the Diaspora, first 20 years in the east, conquering the sons of Ham - Egyptians, the second 20 in the west, conquering the sons of Japheth - Greeks and Romans.
Toward the end of his rule - he died in 4 BC - Herod became a very cruel and irrational ruler. He was detested by the religious leaders for his many sacrilegious acts. The year 3940 (1 BC) was the end of Herod's generation. The anti-Herodians wished to erase Herod's generation from the record. Counting in generations of 40 years, they could insert a zero generation at the beginning (similar to the zero year), and thus the year 1 BC could be set to World Year 3900. In this way, the year 1 AD becomes the first year of the last millennium of the world, before the end of time. This dating also established the Christian era.
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