St paul born in tarsus israel

The undefeated Grecian military leader Alexander the Great traveled through Tarsus with his massive army in B. Alexander almost met his demise in the city after he had taken a bath in Cydnus. Pompey, the great Roman military general, placed Tarsus under the control of Rome. It soon became the capital city of Cilicia the province in which the city existed and the place where the province's governor lived.

The city was given the status of being "free" by Roman Emperor Augustus as a thanks for its efforts during Rome's civil wars.

When was st paul born

Free cities in the Roman empire were allowed to govern themselves by their own laws and customs, and given the privelage of selecting their own magistrates. Such free cities like Tarsus were also not subject to having Roman guards stationed within its gates. Those born in such free cities like the Apostle Paul were deemed to be citizens of the Roman Empire and could therefore exercise the privileges and rights granted to those with a Rome-based citizenship.

Tarsus was also the place where Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony met for the first time and where they held celebrated feasts during the construction of their fleet 41 B. It was well-known for its culture of Greek philosophy, literature and wealth.

Story of saul to paul in the bible

Its schools of learning rivaled and excelled even those found in Athens and Alexandria. Around B. The New Testament references the apostle Paul in relation to his hometown of Tarsus several times Acts , 30, , , The Life and Epistles of Paul by Conybeare and Howson states the following regarding the apostle's place of birth. From his description it is evident that its main character was that of a Greek city, where the Greek language was spoken, and Greek literature studiously cultivated.

When Cyrus came with his army from the Western Coast, and still later, when Alexander penetrated into Cilicia, they found the inhabitants "Barbarians.