▁visit ▁of ▁August us ▁to ▁Sy ria . ▁ ▁Joseph us ▁( Ant ▁ 1 5 . 1 1 . 1 ) ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁temple ' s ▁reconst ruction ▁was ▁started ▁by ▁Her od ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁year ▁of ▁his ▁reign . ▁But ▁there ▁is ▁some ▁uncertainty ▁about ▁how ▁Joseph us ▁referred ▁to ▁and ▁computed ▁dates , ▁which ▁event ▁marked ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁Her od ' s ▁reign , ▁and ▁whether ▁the ▁initial ▁date ▁should ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁inner ▁Temple , ▁or ▁the ▁subsequent ▁construction . ▁Hence ▁various ▁sch ol ars ▁arrive ▁at ▁slightly ▁different ▁dates ▁for ▁the ▁exact ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁construction , ▁varying ▁by ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁in ▁their ▁final ▁estimation ▁of ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁visit . ▁Given ▁that ▁it ▁took ▁ 4 6 ▁years ▁of ▁construction , ▁the ▁best ▁scholar ly ▁estimate ▁for ▁when ▁Jesus ▁pre ached ▁is ▁around ▁the ▁year ▁AD   2 9 . ▁ ▁Joseph us ' ▁reference ▁to ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁Both ▁the ▁g osp els ▁and ▁first - century ▁historian ▁F la vi us ▁Joseph us , ▁in ▁his ▁work ▁Anti qu ities ▁of ▁the ▁Jews , ▁refer ▁to ▁Her od ▁Ant ip as ▁killing ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁marriage ▁of ▁Her od ▁and ▁Her od ias , ▁establish ing ▁two ▁key ▁connections ▁between ▁Joseph us ▁and ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁episodes . ▁Joseph us ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁imprison ment ▁and ▁execution ▁of ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁by ▁Her od