Paul (aks Saul) is probably the most successful mole over the past 2000 years. Sent by the Roman Empire, he infiltrated, domesticated and vulgarized Jesus’ vegan church from the inside out, an influence that is still being felt by billions of people today. Below please find a chronicle of Paul, with particular emphasis on his treacherous impact on Christianity.
Article link: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/a-chronicle-of-paul-the-anti-vegan-apostate-by-dr-chapman-chen
AD 10. Born Roman
Paul was born around AD 10, according to John Knox’s (1950) estimate. As disclosed by Paul himself, he was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in Tarsus of Cilia (Acts 22:3; Phil 3:5), which means his father was also a Roman citizen; he was a kinsman of the Idumean Herodian family (Romans 16:11); he was closely connected with King Agrippa I and II's Aristobarus-clan (Romans 16:10); and his real name was Saul (Acts 7:58, 8:1-3). According to the Herodian family tree diagram prepared by Prof. Robert Eisenman (2019:309), Saul/Saulus was Herod the Great's great-nephew and King Agrippa II's first cousin twice removed. So Paul was probably a Hellenized Idumean.
Mother Tongue ≠ Hebrew
Paul’s mother tongue was likely Greek instead of Hebrew. When Paul quotes from the Old Testament, he always adopts the Greek version (the Septuagint) wherever it differs from the Hebrew text. Why would Paul do this if he knew Hebrew, questions Keith Akers (2020:143, 147)? According to the Ebionites' account (Epiphanius, Panarion, 30.16.6-9; Williams 2009), Paul was a Greek who pretended to be a Jew.
The Herodian Saulus
Based on Paul's personal details and Saulus' genealogy, and considering Paul's debasement of the veganism of the Jerusalem Council, his attack on Moses' Law (cf. Tabor 2012:210-226), as well as his close association with the Roman authorities, e.g., Governors Felix and Festus, and King Agrippa II (Acts 23:23-35; 24; 25:13-27; 26), Robert Eisenman (2019) identifies Paul as the Herodian Saulus in Josephus' (2009) The War of the Jews, who plundered the poor (the Ebionites) in Jerusalem, and directly reported to Nero; as "the Enemy" in The Clementine Recognitions (Pseudo-Clement 2014) who nearly beat James the Just to death; and as the liar in The Habakkuk Commentary who hijacked Jesus' Vegan Church. If this is true, then Thijs Voskuilen (2005) has a point in contending that Paul "really was an agent-provocateur working for the Roman administration in Palestine..." His mission was to corrupt Jesus' Vegan Church from the inside out. (https://www.hkbnews.net/post/the-family-background-of-paul-the-anti-vegan-roman-by-dr-chapman-chen)
AD 20-25. Studied in Gamaliel
Studied at the school of Gamaliel, Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), a very Hellenized city.
AD 31-36. An Unrequited Love Affair
While in Jerusalem, Paul/Saul fell head over heels in love with High Priest's beautiful daughter called Popea. Paul/Saul fervently courted the girl, doing everything in his power to win the attention and hopefully the love of her. For her sake, he became a proselyte and was circumcised. For her sake, he became a Pharisee in AD 31 (Epiphanius, Panarion, 30.16.6-9; Williams 2009). For her sake, and given his family background, he easily joined the secret police force of the High Priest, and vigorously persecuted and killed early followers of the Vegan Christ (Acts 7:58, 8:1-3; Acts 9:3-7; Acts 22:6-10; Acts 26:12-20; Phil 3:6). But all these endeavours gained mere condescending approval from her.
AD 36-37. Mission Impossible
When his repeated offers of marriage were spurned by this femme fatale (Note 2), Saul was heartbroken; he was outraged; he was disconsolate, depressed, distraught, and disheartened (Hosein 1996:40-41). He wanted to achieve something big to compensate for his unrequited love; he wanted to be somebody so as not to be looked down upon by Popea; he wanted to render extraordinary service to the Roman Empire; he wanted to be the leader of a new state religion of the Empire; he wanted to take revenge by attacking Jewishness as represented by The Torah, circumcision, and Vegan Jewish Christianity. So he accepted the mission impossible from the Roman Empire: to pretend to be the one and only apostle personally tutored by Jesus Christ in spiritual visions, and to corrupt Jesus' Vegan Church from the inside out (cf. Chen 2023; Akers 2000; Eisenman 2012; Voskuilen 2005)!
AD 37. Almost Killed James the Just
Around AD 37, Paul/Saul threw Jesus’ brother James the Just, the head of the Jerusalem Council, from the top of the Temple, and almost killed him. This is disguised as the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60, to which Paul was allegedly just a condoning witness.
The Enemy Beat up James the Just
Round about AD 37, according to Peter's account in Clementine Recognitions (1.69-72), when James the Just, as the leader of the Twelve Disciples, was debating with the Judaic priests in the Holy Temple about the Messianic status of Jesus, an enemy suddenly rushed in and incited the priests against James and his people. A marginal note in one of the manuscripts identifies this guy as Paul (Eisenman 2019:219). The enemy beat up James with a faggot and then threw him down from the top of the steps. James fell to the ground and broke his legs. Thinking that James was already dead, Saul/Paul didn't bother to hit him again to make sure.
James' people then rescued him and they hid themselves in Jericho, whence James, while still limping in his shinbone, sent out Peter on his first missionary journey to Caesarea (Clementine Recognitions 1.73). Meanwhile, Saul/Paul secured authorization letters from Caiaphas the Chief Priest -- just like Paul in Acts 9:2 -- and set out for Damascus where he supposed Peter and his men had gone.
Stephen = James the Just
The "Stephen" in Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:54-60), who was allegedly stoned to death for defending his faith in Jesus Christ before the members of a Sanhedrin, "is a fictitious stand-in for the attack by Paul on James", as argued by Prof. Robert Eisenman (2019:219) (I would say it's around 32 AD). There were actually two assaults on James, one around 32 AD, for which Acts substitutes the assault on Stephen; the other assault on James, which results in his death, is the one in the 60s having to do with his Sanhedrin trial, which ends with his stoning. The 2 assaults on James have been conflated in early church fathers' accounts, like Hegesippus' Memoirs (Book V) via Eusebius' Church History, Clementine Recognitions, and Saint Jerome's On Illustrious Men, into a single attack taking place in the 60s and causing James' martyrdom. All of these accounts involve James' being cast down from the Pinnacle of the Temple, his stoning, and his brains being beaten out with a fuller's club.
AD 37. The Concocted Visionary Conversion by Christ
While Saul (Paul) was on his way to Damascus to pursue Peter, he claimed that Christ appeared to him, converted him, and sent him to convert the Gentiles. The three accounts Paul gives of this visionary experience are so self-contradictory that it is reasonable to believe this is a plot by Paul to infiltrate Jesus’ vegan church and corrupt it from the inside out.
Three Contradictory Accounts of Pauls' "Conversion"
In Acts of the Apostle, Paul gave three mutually conflicting accounts of how, while traveling to Damascus as a secret police with his colleagues with a view to hunting down Jewish Christians, he encountered an apparition of Jesus Christ. In the first account (Acts 9:1-8), Paul's companions heard Christ's voice but did not see the light which Paul saw. In the second account (Acts 22), Paul's companions saw the light but did not hear Christ's voice. In the third account, "a light from heaven" shone round about Paul and his companions. And they ALL fell to the earth. Then Paul alone heard Christ’s voice instructing him to open the Gentiles’ eyes (Acts 26:12-20). In neither the first account nor the second account did Paul mention that Jesus instructed him to convert the Gentiles on his (Paul's) way to Damascus. In both narrations, the message was related to Paul by Ananias in Judas's house in Damascus, where Paul was recuperating from his blindness caused by the vision. In the third account, Ananias never appeared to forward this message to Paul.
In a court of law, such kind of inconsistent evidence would never be admitted. Equally puzzlingly, after Paul was converted and blinded by the "vision", his police-companions kindly escorted him to a Jewish Christian’s house without persecuting them at all. The only plausible explanation is that Paul was a spy sent by the Roman Empire to infiltrate Jesus' church and destroy it from within, especially when we see that Paul's teachings often directly cancel out Jesus', notably in terms of veganism, among others.
An Unqualified Apostle
In fact, Paul never meets the eligibility requirements to be considered an apostle. In Acts 1:21-22 KJV, during the days immediately following Jesus' ascension and before the day of Pentecost, Peter, in conjunction with the other 10 apostles and around 120 disciples, as well as "the women, Mary the mother of Jesus and... his brethren", clearly laid out the eligibility criteria to be considered a replacement for Judas the traitor:- the candidate must have "companied" with the other apostles "all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us," "beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day he was taken up from us"; and must be "a witness with us of his [Jesus'] resurrection". Then two candidates were nominated, namely, "Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias" (Acts 1:23 KJV). "And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:23 KJV). Not only are there eligibility requirements to be considered an apostle, but the number of apostles is strictly limited. In accordance with Revelation 21:14, God never endorses Paul's status as the 13th apostle, for the wall of the new Holy Jerusalem has only twelve foundations, which contain only twelve apostles' names. Paul is just a self-proclaimed apostle and probably an apostate:- "Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead" (Galatians 1:1 NIV).
AD 37. Went to Damascus then Fled the City for Safety (Gal 1:17; Acts 9:20-25; 2 Cor 11:32-33)
Immediately after his “conversion”, Paul went to Damascus and started preaching in the synagogues there. Acts 9:19-22 Unsurprisingly, the Jews remained suspicious of Paul the "reformed" persecutor. After quite a few days, they plotted to slay him. They kept close watch over the city gates day and night, aiming to catch and kill him. But Paul's followers managed to help him escape by lowering him in a basket through an opening in the city wall under cover of night (Acts 9:23–25).
Saved from the Jews by Fellow Agents
It’s possible that the anonymous ‘followers’ who helped him escape were non-Jews, as Acts distinguishes them from ‘the Jews.’ To successfully rescue Paul would require skills like identifying possible surveillance and detecting undercover assassins among the crowd at the city gates. The operation would also involve advanced clandestine strategies, such as smuggling Paul past his attackers unnoticed and ensuring a clean escape for the rescuers themselves. If these followers were merely random non-Jews whom Paul had met during their search for spiritual guidance in synagogues or other Jewish meeting places, it seems unlikely they would have suddenly developed strong enough anti-Jewish sentiments to risk their lives for Paul—a stranger and former persecutor who had suddenly become a preacher and was in conflict with their familiar Jewish spiritual leaders. On the other hand, it is much more likely that Saul's fellow agents were sufficiently anti-Jewish, organized, focused, and loyal—both to Saul and to each other—to intervene and rescue their colleague during his confrontation with 'the Jews' (cf. Voskuilen 2005:200-202).
AD 37-40 A Recluse in Arabia
Paul travelled to Arabia and remained there (Gal 1:17), presumably to cure his love injury and to plan strategies and doctrines for perverting Jesus’ vegan church.
While Paul does not explicitly say in Galatians that Christ taught him in visions during his time in Arabia, his writings strongly suggest that his knowledge of the gospel came through supernatural revelation (Galatians 1:11-12; 1:17-18), and many scholars believe that some of these revelations likely occurred during his time in Arabia. His references to visions in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 also provide further insight into his alleged “mystical experiences”, which shaped his unique “understanding” of the Christian message. So the Second Coming of Jesus Christ already took place, albeit solely in the presence of Paul!
AD 40. Met Peter and James for the First Time
As noted by Prof. James Tabor (2012:2), it was a complete ten years after Jesus' ascension that Paul, introduced by Barnabas, first met Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, in Jerusalem. Paul then went on his own to spread his version of the gospel in Asia Minor for another ten years. He returned to Jerusalem around AD 50, two decades after Jesus' crucifixion, where he met James, Peter again, and for the first time, the rest of Jesus' original apostles. This long gap is quite surprising and crucial for understanding Paul's teachings. This timeline suggests that there was a form of Christianity that existed independently of Paul for over 20 years. Additionally, Paul's version of Christianity developed separately from the original apostles and followers of Jesus, with little direct interaction with those who had known Jesus personally.
AD 50. Paid Lip Service to the Vegan Apostolic Decree
Around AD 50, there was a dispute between Paul’s church and the Jerusalem church regarding whether Gentile Christians were required to undergo circumcision. As a result, Paul appeared before the Jerusalem Council, headed by Jesus’ brother, James the Just, who was assisted by Peter and John. After much heated discussion, James the Just issued an apostolic decree, which exempted Gentile believers from circumcision and only required them to abstain from blood, from things strangled, from things sacrificed to idols, and from fornication (Acts 15:19-20, 29).
Abstain from Blood and Strangled Animals
This decree must be vegan because, firstly, it states "abstain from blood," not merely "abstain from consuming blood." But blood is life, life is blood—how can one kill an animal without shedding blood, as questioned by Prof. Andrew Linzey (1993)? Secondly, "things strangled," according to Pastor William Metcalfe, refers to animals subjected to a violent death, i.e., slaughtered by humans in general, not merely by strangulation (Metcalfe, 1840, Ch. 27). Furthermore, "pniktos," the Greek word for "things strangled," could also mean a certain way of cooking meat in a rich sauce (Strong's Concordance, G4156).
Diplomatic Compromise
Since the Jerusalem Council was still the centre of Christianity in AD 50, and Paul’s group was merely a peripheral organisation, Paul paid lip service to the decree. Later, he even diplomatically stated that if eating meat would cause others to stumble, he would rather not eat it (1 Corinthians 8:13). It was not until AD 56, when his group had grown considerably in size and power, that he revealed his true anti-vegan and anti-Jewish-Christianity stance (e.g. Galatians 2:11-14).
AD 50. Paul Lashed out at Peter in Antioch
Following the end of the AD 50 Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15), Paul returned to his congregation in Antioch (Acts 15:30-35). Soon after, Peter came to visit and joined them for dinner (Galatians 2:11-12). When Peter withdrew from a table of flesh-eating Gentiles upon hearing from members of the Jerusalem Council, Paul lashed out at Peter, accusing him of intolerance and hypocrisy (Galatians 2:13-14).
Not long afterward, even Barnabas, Paul's close companion who had first introduced him to James and Peter back in AD 40 (Acts 9:27), parted ways with Paul. Ostensibly, this was over whether to take John Mark on their missionary journeys (Acts 15:36-40), but it is likely that Barnabas began to see through Paul’s anti-Law and anti-vegan stance (cf. Tabor 2012:217).
AD 56. Paul Revealed his True Hostility towards Jesus' Vegan Church
AD 56. Paul Revealed his True Anti-Vegan, Anti-Law Features
It is not until roughly A.D. 56, with his epistles to the Galatians, Corinthians, and Romans, that Paul began to publicly express the full implications of his hostile attitude towards the Mosaic Law and the veganism of Jewish Christianity (cf. Tabor 2012:216).
Demonized the Mosaic Law
In those letters, Paul blatantly attacks Moses' Law, e.g., "all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10 NIV); “Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man...” (Ephesians 2:15 NKJV); "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:56).
Eat Meat Without Guilt!
In relation to veganism, Paul tells people to eat "anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience" (1 Corinthians 10:25 NIV). Those who are strong in faith may eat anything; whose those who are weak eat only herbs (Romans 14:2), "For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure" (Romans 14:20 KJV). Meat here includes but is not limited to animal flesh sacrificed to idols, that is to say, Paul renounces not only the Kosher law but also Christian veganism itself (Akers 2020:149).
Belittled the 12 Apostles
In those letters, Paul, of course, does not hesitate to lash out at Jesus' 12 apostles who, emulating Jesus, staunchly uphold Moses' Law and veganism. Paul calls them "false apostles, deceitful workers" , transforming themselves into apostles of Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NKJV). "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often" (2 Corinthians 11:22-23 NKJV)); "I have become a fool in boasting...in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds" (2 Corinthians 12:11-12 NKJV), Paul asserts, seemingly humbly but actually unashamedly arrogantly.
AD 57. Repeatedly Saved by Roman Soldiers
1. Before the Vegan Jerusalem Council for the Last Time
When news about Paul's problematic anti-Law preaching finally reached the ears of the Jerusalem apostles, they summoned him again to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 21:21). Paul went there for the last time, but in front of the elders, he presented no explanation. The Jerusalem apostles again tolerantly let him off. They just reiterated the former minimum restrictions to be placed on the Gentiles: No food offered to idols, no blood, no strangled animals and no fornication (Acts 21:25), and requested Paul to take part in a purification ceremony, which Paul diplomatically did (Acts 21:26).
Apparently, Paul pretended to follow instructions without actually executing them, his cunning strategy, in his own words, being "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law...so as to win those not having the law" (1 Corinthians 9:19–22 NIV).
2. Saved by Roman Soldiers in the Temple
When Paul was visiting the Temple, some Jews accused him of defiling it by bringing Gentiles into it without permission, and of teaching against Jewish law (Acts 21:28). The angry crowd began to beat up Paul, with the intent to kill him. At this moment, Roman soldiers quickly intervened and arrested Paul, effectively saving him from being lynched by the mob. The Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, ordered Paul to be bound and taken to the barracks. Paul used this opportunity to ask for permission to address the crowd in his defense. This request was granted. In Acts 22, Paul spoke to the crowd, recounting his background and visionary conversion by an apparition of Jesus. After his defense, the crowd became agitated again, and the Roman commander ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks and interrogated to understand the reason for the uproar.
3. A Roman Citizen
After Paul was brought into the barracks in Acts 22:24, the Roman commander Claudius Lysias allegedly ordered him to be interrogated by flogging to determine why the crowd was so hostile. However, as they were allegedly preparing to flog Paul, he revealed that he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-26). This caused the centurion to inform the commander Lysias, who released Paul from his bonds the next day and brought him before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council) to clarify the accusations against him (Acts 22:30).
4. Saved by Roman Soldiers at the Sanhedrin
When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin in Acts 23, he declared himself to a Pharisee who believed in the resurrection of the dead. This caused a dispute between the Sadducees (who denied the resurrection) and the Pharisees (who affirmed it), leading to chaos. The Roman commander, fearing for Paul's safety, had him taken back to the barracks.
5. A Nazarite-Style Oath to Take Down Paul
Later, more than forty Jews took a Nazarite-style oath, “saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul” (Acts 23:12 KJV). This oath-taking was even repeated three times. However, Paul's nephew (unidentified in Acts) overheard the plot and informed the Roman Chief Captain of the Temple Guard in the Fortress, as a result of which, Paul was transferred under heavy guard to Caesarea to stand trial before Governor Felix (Acts 23:12-35).
6. Paul’s Nephew who Informed the Roman Commander
According to Prof. Robert Eisenman’s (2019/2012) research, Paul’s nephew is likely Julius Archelaus, whom Josephus compliments in his dedication to his book Antiquities as an avid reader of his works. The mother of this young man may be Cypros IV, who was the wife of Helcias the Temple Treasurer and the sister of Saulus/Saul/Paul and Costobarus. Julius Archelaus was briefly married to the Herodian Princess Mariamme III, who was the third sister of King Agrippa II. She later divorced him, likely in favor of Demetrius, the wealthy Alabarch of Alexandria (Eisenman, 2019, pp. 183, 192).
7. Escorted by 470 Roman Soldiers to Caesarea
According to Acts 23:23, Paul was escorted to Caesarea under the protection of a significant military contingent consisting of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. This operation was organized by two centurions, again at the request of Claudius Lysias, the commander in Jerusalem.
It seems unlikely that 470 soldiers would be necessary just to prevent one man from escaping. The deployment of such a large number of troops more likely suggests they were tasked with shielding Paul from a significant external threat; tha the Romans may have seen Paul as strategically important or wished to avoid any risks regarding his safety. In contrast, Jesus had a much smaller escort—if any—when He was led to Golgotha (cf. Voskuilen 2005, p. 206).
AD 57-59. Paul Regularly Shared Intelligence with the Roman Authorities
After his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul was transferred to Caesarea for his protection and to be tried before the Roman governors Felix and later Festus. He was held under guard in Herod's Palace (or Praetorium) in Caesarea which served as the official residence for Roman governors in Caesarea. from approximately AD 57 to 59 (Acts 23:35).
In Paul's situation, instead of facing crucifixion, he spent two years in 'custody' at King Herod's palace in Caesarea. During this time, he was permitted to receive visitors (Acts 23:35; 24:23), which likely allowed him to continue spreading the “dangerous' message” that had supposedly led to Jesus' execution (Voskuilen 2005).
Regularly Conferred with the Roman Authorities
During those two years, Paul regularly conferred at length with the Roman authorities, initially with Roman Governor Felix and his wife Drusilla, and later with King Agrippa II, Bernice, and Roman Governor Festus as he had with Felix and Drusilla earlier (Eisenman 2019:202). Felix used indiscriminate mass crucifixions to deal with widespread Jewish resistance and guerrilla warfare. With his close contacts in Nero's own household in Rome, he paved the way for Paul’s appeal to Caesar (Eisenman 2012:197).
A Relative of King Agrippa II
As a Herodian, Saul/Paul was related to King Agrippa II as well as Bernice and Drusilla, who were daughters of King Agrippa I. Agrippa II, along with the High Priest Ananus ben Anansu he appointed, was responsible for the execution of James by way of stoning in AD 62. Agrippa II also played a role in inviting Cestius' Roman troops into the city to suppress the Uprising in AD 66. Bernice and Drusilla were sisters, both known for their licentious behavior. According to Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews (Book 20) and The Jewish War (Books 2 and 7), Bernice had an incestuous relationship with her brother, Agrippa II. She later became the mistress of Titus, who, following the orders of his father, Roman Emperor Vespasian, ultimately destroyed Jerusalem.
It is doubtful that the depiction in Acts accurately portrays the nature of these discussions. As suggested by Robert Eisenman, the many meetings Paul had with Felix over the "two-year" period mentioned in Acts (24:26-27) were likely more akin to intelligence briefings than the theological or religious discussions portrayed in Acts.
A Hand in the Death of James the Just
If this is the case, then Paul also has a role to play in the plot to exterminate James the Just (Eisenman 2019:202), which would not be astonishing in consideration of Paul's multiple disparities with him, the way of his recurrent discomfiture by James, and his confessed earlier eradication of such Messianic Heads (1 Cor. 15:9 and Gal. 1:13). Paul would have identified James as the leader of the opposition alliance in Jerusalem.
According to Robert Eisenman’s interpretation, James the Just, Paul, and Ananus are respectively represented by the Righteous Teacher, the Liar and the Wicked Priest at Qumran or the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Liar and the Wicked Priest conspired to kill the Righteous Teacher. Naturally, Acts, as is typical, turns this around into a scheme by the Zealots and the High Priests to ruin Paul! (Eisenman 2012:202).
AD 59-60. Moving to Rome
After two years in Caesarea, when "the Jews" asked Governor Festus and King Agrippa to hand over Paul for them to convict him (Acts 25:3), Paul instead insisted on being sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11). King Agrippa, who did not believe another trial was necessary, expressed his willingness to release Paul, saying, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar" (Acts 26:32).
An Expensive Escort
Despite this, Paul's request was granted, and he was taken to Rome with an expensive military escort. It is curious that Paul, who was about to be released, demanded another trial simply because he wanted to be released elsewhere. Doubtless, Paul did not want to be freed among his Jewish enemies, who were seeking his death. However, it is unclear why the Romans were willing to send him to Rome, spending more time and money on him when they could have released him in Caesarea, allowing him to arrange his own journey (cf. Voskuilen 2005, p. 207). So either Paul had a scheme to propose to Caesar for getting Jewish dissidents or Emperor Nero wanted to personally assign him a mission against Jewish Christians.
Saved by Roman Centurion Julius
During the voyage from Caesarea to Rome, which was long and arduous, involving dangerous conditions and a shipwreck, Paul befriended a centurion named Julius. In Acts 27:42-43, when the ship carrying Paul and others faced a shipwreck near the island of Malta, the soldiers considered executing the prisoners, including Paul, to ensure that none of them escaped during the chaos of the shipwreck. However, the centurion Julius intervened and saved Paul, in almost the same way Roman soldiers had saved Paul from angry Jewish crowds on several occasions before.This shows that the centurion and Paul may be working for the same big boss – Nero.
AD 60-62. Kowtowed to Emperor Nero in Rome
Paul Enjoying himself in Rome
The supposedly “subversive” Paul experienced unbelievably lenient conditions under Roman rule. After transporting him from distant lands to Rome for trial, imprisoning him for two years, and incurring expenses for his upkeep, the Romans never actually brought him to trial. Instead, Paul was allowed to live on his own, with only one soldier guarding him (Acts 28:16). He spent two years in Rome, staying in his own rented house, receiving visitors, and "boldly and without hindrance preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 28:31).
To put it another way, Jesus was crucified straightaway for being a political menace to the Empire; deserted police officer Paul was given leave to disseminate his ‘Messianist’ teachings in the heart of the empire unimpeded (Voskuilen 2005, p. 208).
Connections with Nero's Household
In his letter to the Philippians, specifically in Philippians 4:22. Paul said "All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household" This letter was written while Paul was under house arrest in Rome, which is commonly believed to have taken place around AD 60-62. This reveals that Paul was in close connection with members of Caesar's household. No wonder, as aforementioned, at the end of his two years of soft imprisonment in Caesar, he said, "I appeal to Caesar!" even when Agrippa II and Festus agreed that he should be released.
The Acts of the Apostles ends in AD 62 with Paul still under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30-31), without mentioning his death. We do not know whether, how or when or where Paul departed this life. (Early Christian sources provide various accounts, with some suggesting he was beheaded, possibly by Nero. References include The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 5 (attributed to Clement of Rome), Tertullian's Haer. 36, and Eusebius's History of the Church 2.25.5 and 3.1.2.).
The Romans Wouldn't Want Paul Dead
However, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Romans continued to protect him, as they had done for years, viewing him as a valuable asset. It would have been clear to them that Saul of Tarsus, known as Paul, was advancing their interests through his actions, speeches, and writings. It seems improbable that they would abruptly decide to execute him, as Christian tradition asserts. After all, why would the Romans kill one of their own citizens, a member of the Jerusalem secret police, who: (a) urged everyone to be totally submissive citizens, pay their taxes to Roman authorities, and not resist persecution (Romans 13:1-7); (b) condemned the Jews (for killing Jesus and displeasing God) (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16); (c) encouraged Pauline Christians to disregard the vegan apostolic decree and eat animal flesh (1 Corinthians 10:25), suiting the Roman ruling class’s taste; (d) proclaimed that God's salvation had already arrived (Acts 13:47) (cf. Voskuilen 2005, p. 208-209)?
A New Assignment from Nero?
In any case, AD 62 is the year when the story in Acts concludes. There is no indication that Paul couldn't have returned to Palestine after meeting Caesar, but he would have needed Roman permission or continued employment with them, which may explain why Acts remains silent about his ultimate fate.
It may not be purely coincidental that James the Just, who was Jesus’ brother as well as the spiritual leader of the opposition alliance in Jerusalem, was executed by way of stoning by High Priest Ananus in AD 62, which subsequently led to a decade of unrests in the city. So maybe Paul then received a new assignment from the Emperor to go back to Jerusalem and help suppress the revolts here?
Interestingly, Saulus/Saul/Paul reappears in AD 64 in Jerusalem according to Josephus’ The Antiquities of the Jews (20.214)….
AD 64. Saulus/Paul & Costobarus Plundered the Vegan Ebionites
Around AD 64, in the aftermath of Jesus' brother James the Just's stoning, Saulus/Paul and his brother Costobarus, both of the Royal Family as kinsmen of Agrippa, seized the opportunity to "use violence with the people" in Jerusalem, "ready to plunder anyone weaker than themselves", as described by Josephus (Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, 20.214; see Eisenman 2012: 175), and "the wicked priest “plundered the sustenance of the poor (Ebionim)” (1QpHab 12.6-10; see Eisenman 2012:190). According to Eisenman's interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the wicked priest is Ananus; the lying spouter is Saulus/Paul; the righteous teacher is James the Just. The lying spouter conspired with the wicked priest to kill the righteous teacher and to persecute his followers or the vegan Ebionites. “Blessed are the poor,” said Jesus (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20). The poor could refer to the Ebionites, the most important group of early vegan Jewish Christians, who placed a premium on the values of simplicity and humility, for Ebionite in Hebrew (Ebionim) means poor.
AD 66. Paul Invited the Roman Troops to Suppress the Jerusalem Revolt
In AD 66, as a consequence of James the Just' martyrdom, the Jews in Jerusalem started a revolution against Roman colonialism. Saulus/Paul, falsely representing the "peace party" in Jerusalem, ran out of the city, and pleaded with King Agrippa II and the Roman army outside to enter the city and suppress the revolution (Eisenman 2012:192). Accordingly, Cestius Gallus, the Roman governor of Syria, according to Josephus, marched Roman troops into Judea. Cestius, however, faced serious challenges and determined resistance, and ultimately withdrew his forces. It’s not until AD 70 that the Romans returned under the command of Titus, the son of Vespasian, leading to the eventual destruction of Jerusalem.
AD 68. Saulus/Paul Gave a Final Briefing to Nero
In AD 68, according to Josephus' account, James' Jewish followers avenged his murder by slaying the High Priest Ananus and leaving his corpse naked and unburied. The Roman Commander had failed to capture Jerusalem and retreated to the coast. Saulus/Paul fled with Costobarus to Cestius' camp and then to Nero in Corinth, where Saulsu/Paul gave a briefing to His Majesty on the situation in Palestine, and successfully recommended Vespasian to be the person-in-charge of the repression of the uprising in Palestine (see Eisenman 2012:192-193).
Vespasian then initiated the Roman campaign in the Jewish War. In AD 69, Vespasian left Judea to become Emperor of Rome, and left the final stages of the war to his son, Titus. In AD 70, Vespasian's son Titus, completed the siege of Jerusalem, captured and totally destroyed the city. Most of the vegan Jewish Christians were killed as a consequence.
Early Church writings indicate that Paul's death occurred sometime after the beginning of the Jewish-Roman War, likely around 68-69 CE. This timeline aligns with the disappearance of the figure 'Saulus' from Josephus' historical account, who vanishes from the narrative around the same period, albeit not before he submitted a final verbal report to the Roman Emperor in Corinth on the events in Palestine (Eisenman 2012: 193).
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