What Year Is It?

The following is from an article dated 09/22/06 about Rosh Hashana: “…5766 since the creation of the world according to Jewish tradition.” Where does this figure come from?

Q. What year is it? The following is from an article dated 09/22/06 about Rosh Hashana: “…5766 since the creation of the world according to Jewish tradition.” Where does this figure come from? I assume we are about 2000+ AD which makes us close to 6000+/- years since creation,

A. On the Jewish calendar we’re just beginning the year 5767. They began counting from the Creation, but some believe that in ancient times they didn’t count years when they were either under the subjugation of a foreign power or out of the Land during a period of captivity. By various estimates there are 200-225 such years missing from their calendar. If that’s the case, then 2006 is between the 5,966 and 5,991 years since the events of Genesis 1.