How was time measured before Christ?

Answer 1

People didn't count years the way we do until quite recently. Even the expression AD was not used until about 525 AD. In England years was just counted as so many years of the reign of King so-and-so. Other cultures have counted from other years. Romans counted from the founding of Rome (about 750 BC) but did not do this until at least 500 years later.

Answer 2

People didn't measure time like we do. The water clock was first made in China and was the earilest clock. People used the seasons to tell time and the position of the sun for another means. A candle with set intervals was also used as it burned to tell time plus there was the hourglass. We think that things must be done instantly, but people in the past would take months or years if they had to make something. To go places took days not hours. Marco Polo took 4 years to reach China with his father.

Additional Comments:

The Jews at the time of Jesus would measure time as instructed to them by God. It is different from many other societies for instance, just like in Genesis days begin and end at sunset and the week is 7 complete days. Months are observed by the moon. This was all maintained via God's Sabbaths - weekly and 7 Annual High Sabbaths to complete the year of 360 days. On certain years, an extra month is added to maintain the divine count of all days.

Unfortunately, even the Jews changed this counting system returning from or influenced by captivity.