Final answer:
The Julian date represents the total number of days since January 1, 4712 B.C., which is true. It's part of the Julian calendar system, which was eventually replaced by the Gregorian calendar due to cumulative inaccuracies over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a Julian date is the number of days that have passed between a specific date and January 1, 4712 B.C. is TRUE. The Julian date system was developed to provide a continuous count of days since a starting point, which is considered January 1, 4712 B.C. in the Julian calendar. This calendar system, introduced by Julius Caesar, approximated the year at 365.25 days, with a leap year every fourth year to account for the extra time. However, over time, this system was found to be slightly inaccurate, with an average year differing from the true year by about 11 minutes, leading to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.