THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
The answer
Tiberius. Luke 3:1 dates John the Baptist's appearance to "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius," around 28-29 CE. Augustus, named at the birth (Luke 2:1), was Tiberius's predecessor.
Why it’s interesting
Luke anchors the story in Roman and local politics on purpose, naming emperor, governor, and priests together. It's the closest the Gospels come to a dateline.
Scholarly consensus
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.