The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical reference, but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth between 6 and 4 BC.[1] The historical evidence is too incomplete to allow a definitive dating,[2] but the year is estimated through three different approaches: (A) by analyzing references to known historical events mentioned in the nativity accounts in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, (B) by working backward from the estimation of the start of the ministry of Jesus,[3][4] and (C) astrological or astronomical alignments.[5] The day or season has been estimated by various methods, including the description of shepherds watching over their sheep.[6]