# Epoch\_millis has a maximum of 13 digits - Joda time accepts a long

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/epoch-millis-has-a-maximum-of-13-digits-joda-time-accepts-a-long/50508>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [May 19, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/epoch-millis-has-a-maximum-of-13-digits-joda-time-accepts-a-long/50508 "2016-05-19T23:09:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rbellamy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rbellamy/32/9534_2.png) [@rbellamy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rbellamy)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/epoch-millis-has-a-maximum-of-13-digits-joda-time-accepts-a-long/50508/1 "2016-05-19T23:09:15Z")

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In the [documentation for date formats](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/mapping-date-format.html), `epoch_millis` has a maximum char length of 13 (year range of 1653 and 2286).

Also true for `epoch_seconds`.

Elasticsearch uses `DateTime(millis, DateTimeZone.UTC)` to construct an immutable Joda DateTime, where `millis` is a Java Long value. `millis` can certainly accept more than 13 chars of digits.

I'd like to understand why this limit exists when dealing with epochs.

Cross-post alert:  
I've opened a [GitHub issue](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/18507) and have a PR available, pending the outcome of this discussion.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danielmitterdorfer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/danielmitterdorfer/32/110510_2.png) [@danielmitterdorfer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/danielmitterdorfer)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/epoch-millis-has-a-maximum-of-13-digits-joda-time-accepts-a-long/50508/2 "2016-05-24T06:27:11Z")

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danielmitterdorfer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/danielmitterdorfer/32/110510_2.png) [@danielmitterdorfer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/danielmitterdorfer)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/epoch-millis-has-a-maximum-of-13-digits-joda-time-accepts-a-long/50508/3 "2016-05-24T06:27:44Z")

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Marked as closed as the mentioned PR [https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/18509](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/18509) has already been merged.