TO: The editors of WorldNetDaily (corrections@worldnetdaily.com)
FROM: Sean Gleeson (sean@gleeson.us)

Sirs:

An article you published in WorldNetDaily (“Happy birthday, Earth”) on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, contains an error.

In the article, you wrongly calculated that if the world were created in 4004 B.C., it would be 6,010 years old this year.

But the author of the book frequently described as the greatest history book ever written, said the world was created Oct. 23, 4004 B.C. — making it 6,010 as of Monday.

But in fact, the correct age would be 6,009. You repeated this error in several headlines, subheadlines, and links to the article as well.

It is mathematically true that 2,006 minus negative-4,004 equals 6,010. But ages in the Christian Era calendar cannot be calculated in this manner, because unlike the set of integers, the set of Christian years contains no zero. The first year Anno Domini was numbered 1 A.D. The year before that was not “0 A.D.,” it was 1 B.C.

By way of further illustration, if Christ was born in Bethlehem on Dec. 25, 1 B.C. (as Dionysius Exiguus postulated), He would have been one year old, not two, on Dec. 25, 1 A.D. I trust you can see how all calculations which bridge that year will similarly be affected.

I look forward to your correction.

Best regards:

Sean Gleeson
sean.gleeson.us

UPDATE: The editors have (pretty much immediately) fixed the error. The article now correctly says 6,009 years. I thank the WND team for their continued commitment to truth.