Rabbi Saul's Remains Verified

Rabbi Saul/St. Paul

On Monday Pope Benedict announced, "This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains on the Apostle Paul," at St Paul's-Outside-the-Walls, on the eve of the Feasts of St Peter and St Paul, which were celebrated on Monday. The pope also gave other details of the discovery saying "a tiny hole had been drilled in the sarcophagus to permit inspection of the interior, revealing traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color, laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with filaments of linen. It also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone. There were also tiny fragments of bone, which, when subjected to Carbon 14 tests by experts, turned out to belong to someone who lived in the first or second century." The discovery of the bone fragments coincided with news that Vatican archaeologists had discovered what they believe is the oldest image in existence of St Paul, dating from the late 4th century, on the walls of catacomb beneath Rome. The portrait "shows St Paul with a high domed forehead, deep-set eyes and a long pointed beard, confirming the image familiar from later depictions."