▁Beth le hem . ▁However , ▁there ▁are ▁many ▁possible ▁phen omena ▁and ▁none ▁seems ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁G ospel ▁account ▁exactly . ▁ ▁Years ▁of ▁pre aching ▁ ▁Re ign ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁and ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁Luke ▁ ▁One ▁method ▁for ▁the ▁estimation ▁of ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁Jesus ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁Luke ' s ▁specific ▁statement ▁in ▁Luke ▁ 3 : 1 – 2 ▁about ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁which ▁preced ed ▁that ▁of ▁Jesus : ▁ ▁Now ▁in ▁the ▁fif teenth ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁Ca esar , ▁Pont ius ▁Pil ate ▁being ▁governor ▁of ▁Jud ae a , ▁and ▁Her od ▁being ▁t etr arch ▁of ▁Gal ile e , ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Philip ▁t etr arch ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁It ura ea ▁and ▁Tra ch on itis , ▁and ▁L ys an ias ▁t etr arch ▁of ▁Ab il ene , ▁in ▁the ▁high p ri est hood ▁of ▁Ann as ▁and ▁Ca ia phas , ▁the ▁word ▁of ▁God ▁came ▁unto ▁John ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Zach arias ▁in ▁the ▁w ilder ness . ▁ ▁The ▁reign ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁Ca esar ▁began ▁on ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁August us ▁Ca esar ▁in ▁September ▁AD   1 4 , ▁imp lying ▁that ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁began ▁in ▁late ▁AD   2 8 ▁or ▁early ▁AD   2