". ▁Jesus ' ▁bapt ism ▁account ▁is ▁followed ▁directly ▁by ▁his ▁ 4 0 ▁day ▁fast ▁and ▁or de al . ▁ ▁The ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁and ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁John ▁ ▁Another ▁method ▁for ▁estim ating ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁Jesus ▁without ▁reli ance ▁on ▁the ▁Syn opt ic ▁g osp els ▁is ▁to ▁relate ▁the ▁account ▁in ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁John ▁about ▁the ▁visit ▁of ▁Jesus ▁to ▁Her od ' s ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁with ▁historical ▁data ▁about ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Temple . ▁ ▁John ▁ 2 : 1 3 ▁says ▁that ▁Jesus ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁around ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁his ▁min istry ▁and ▁in ▁John ▁ 2 : 2 0 ▁Jesus ▁is ▁told : ▁" This ▁temple ▁has ▁been ▁under ▁construction ▁for ▁forty - six ▁years , ▁and ▁will ▁you ▁raise ▁it ▁up ▁in ▁three ▁days ? ". ▁ ▁Her od ' s ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁was ▁an ▁extensive ▁and ▁long ▁term ▁construction ▁on ▁the ▁Temple ▁Mount , ▁which ▁was ▁never ▁fully ▁completed ▁even ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁in ▁AD ▁ 7 0 . ▁Having ▁built ▁entire ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Ca es area ▁Mar it ima , ▁Her od ▁saw ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁as ▁a ▁key , ▁col oss al ▁monument . ▁The ▁dedic ation ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁temple ▁( s ometimes ▁called ▁the ▁inner ▁Temple ) ▁followed ▁a ▁ 1 7 ▁or ▁ 1 8 ▁month ▁construction ▁period , ▁just ▁after ▁the