Saulos Thaddeus Alexander Herod .

Saulos was mentioned by the contemporary Jewish historian Josephus (Josephus, The Jewish War 2.418, 556–58, and The Antiquities, 20.214 cf excepts below). Saulos reported the Roman reverses in Jerusalem to the Emperor Nero in Corinth, which resulted in the dispatch of Vespasian from Britain.

Biblical scholar Robert Eisenman has suggested that Saulos might have been the same person as Saint Paul the Apostle. In this reconstruction, Paul's unnamed nephew who warns him of a plot to kill him in the barracks (Acts 23:16) was Julius Archelaus, son of Paul's supposed sister Cypros and her husband Temple Treasurer Alexas Helcias (James the Brother of Jesus; The New Testament Code; Wikipedia) A further source used to sustain this potential relationship is Paul's words in Romans 16.11 "Greet Herodion, my kinsman." [Sharon July 2013]

An interesting aside is that this Saulos & his siblings are the grandchildren of the arch enemies Mariamne Hasmonean (Herod's wife) & Salome (Herod's sister). The result of Mariamne's daughter marrying Salome's son. [Sharon Oct 2014]

Sources

• Robert Eisenman, James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls (1997).
• Robert Eisenman, The New Testament Code: The Cup of the Lord, the Damascus Covenant, and the Blood of Christ (2006).
• Robert Eisenman, "Paul as Herodian", Journal of Higher Criticism 3/1 (Spring, 1996), 110-122.
• Josephus, The Jewish War.
• Josephus, The Antiquities.
• "Robert Eisenman" at en.wikipedia.org, visited Mar. 20, 2013.

Date of Birth

Date of birth just a rough estimate using his mother's date of birth (before -29 but probably after -32)

Josephus on Saulos

• Josephus, The Jewish War (75 CE) 2.418:

And as they said these things, they produced those priests that were skillful in the customs of their country, who made the report that all their forefathers had received the sacrifices from foreign nations. But still not one of the innovators would hearken to what was said; nay, those that ministered about the temple would not attend their Divine service, but were preparing matters for beginning the war. So the men of power perceiving that the sedition was too hard for them to subdue, and that the danger which would arise from the Romans would come upon them first of all, endeavored to save themselves, and sent ambassadors, some to Florus, the chief of which was Simon the son of Ananias; and others to Agrippa, among whom the most eminent were Saul, and Antipas, and Costobarus, who were of the king's kindred

• Josephus, The Jewish War (75 CE) 2.556-558: After this calamity had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink; Costobarus, therefore, and Saul, who were brethren, together with Philip, the son of Jacimus, who was the commander of king Agrippa’s forces, ran away from the city, and went to Cestius. But then how Antipas, who had been besieged with them in the king’s palace, but would not fly away with them, was afterward slain by the seditious, we shall relate hereafter. However, Cestius sent Saul and his friends, at their own desire, to Achaia, to Nero, to inform him of the great distress they were in, and to lay the blame of their kindling the war upon Florus, as hoping to alleviate his own danger, by provoking his indignation against Florus.
• Josephus, "The Antiquities of the Jews" (94 CE) 20.214

Costobarus also, and Saulus, did themselves get together a multitude of wicked wretches, and this because they were of the royal family; and so they obtained favor among them, because of their kindred to Agrippa; but still they used violence with the people, and were very ready to plunder those that were weaker than themselves. And from that time it principally came to pass that our city was greatly disordered, and that all things grew worse and worse among us.