▁after ▁being ▁bapt ised ▁by ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist , ▁and ▁based ▁on ▁Luke ’ s ▁g ospel ▁John ▁only ▁began ▁bapt ising ▁people ▁in ▁" the ▁fif teenth ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁Ca esar " ▁( Lu ke ▁ 3 : 1 – 2 ), ▁which ▁sch ol ars ▁estimate ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁AD ▁ 2 8 – 2 9 . ▁Sub t ract ing ▁ 3 0 ▁years , ▁it ▁appears ▁that ▁Jesus ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 - 2 ▁BC . ▁However , ▁if ▁the ▁phrase ▁" about ▁ 3 0 " ▁is ▁interpreted ▁to ▁mean ▁ 3 2 ▁years ▁old , ▁this ▁could ▁fit ▁a ▁date ▁of ▁birth ▁just ▁within ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Her od , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 4 ▁BC . ▁ ▁The ▁benchmark ▁date ▁of ▁AD ▁ 2 8 – 2 9 ▁is ▁independently ▁confirmed ▁by ▁John ' s ▁statement ▁( John ▁ 2 : 2 0 ) ▁that ▁the ▁Temple ▁reported ly ▁was ▁in ▁its ▁ 4 6 th ▁year ▁of ▁construction ▁during ▁Pass over ▁when ▁Jesus ▁began ▁his ▁min istry , ▁which ▁like wise ▁corresponds ▁to ▁ 2 8 – 2 9 ▁AD ▁according ▁to ▁scholar ly ▁estimates . ▁ ▁Other ▁approaches ▁The ▁G ospel ▁of ▁John ▁ 8 : 5 7 ▁mentions ▁in ▁passing ▁an ▁upper ▁limit ▁of ▁ 5 0 ▁for ▁Jesus ' ▁age ▁when ▁pre aching : ▁" The ▁Jews ▁therefore ▁said ▁unto ▁him , ▁Th ou ▁art ▁not ▁yet ▁fifty ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁hast