Paul the Apostle

c. 5 – c. 65 · exact dates unknown^[1][2]

Philosophy & Thought

Fun Facts About Paul the Apostle

• Paul the Apostle did not change his name from Saul when he converted, as is commonly believed. Paulus, Latin for "small," was a second name for dealing with a Greco-Roman audience.^[1]
• Paul earned his living as a tentmaker, according to Acts. The trade linked him with Priscilla and Aquila, who became important fellow missionaries.^[1]
• According to Acts, Paul was shipwrecked on Malta, where a poisonous snake fastened on his hand and he shook it off unharmed. Malta still marks his arrival every February 10 with a public holiday.^[1]
• Fourteen of the 27 books of the New Testament were traditionally credited to Paul, but scholars accept only seven of his letters as undisputed.^[1]
• The Bible says almost nothing about Paul's looks, but the apocryphal Acts of Paul describes him as a short, bald man with crooked legs, meeting eyebrows and a somewhat hooked nose.^[1]
• In 2002, a marble sarcophagus inscribed "PAULO APOSTOLO MART," meaning "Paul apostle martyr," was found during excavations at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.^[1]
• Paul the Apostle was alive at the same time as Augustus — their lives overlapped for about 9 years (c. 5–14).^[1][2][3][4]
• Paul the Apostle was alive at the same time as Jesus — their lives overlapped for about 25 years (c. 5–30).^[1][2][5][6]

Paul, commonly known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first century AD. For his contributions to the New Testament, he is generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age, and he also founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD.^[1]

Contemporaries

Boudicca

31 yr overlap

Nero

28 yr overlap

Jesus

25 yr overlap

Ovid

12 yr overlap

Augustus

9 yr overlap

Questions About Paul the Apostle

When was Paul the Apostle born?

Paul the Apostle was born about 5 and died about 65. The exact dates are not known.

What was Paul the Apostle known for?

Paul the Apostle was known for: Early Christian missionary and letter writer. Paul, commonly known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first century AD. For his contributions to the New Testament, he is generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age, and he also founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD.

Who was alive at the same time as Paul the Apostle?

Paul the Apostle's closest contemporary was Boudicca. Their lives overlapped for 31 years.