A zealous Pharisee named Saul, Jewish-to-the-max and a citizen of Rome, who persecuted the early Christians in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. While headed for Damascus, Jesus appeared and told him to stop what he was doing; Saul became Paul, and he helped spread Christianity to the non-Jewish
world. Much of the New Testament is comprised of letters he wrote during his ministry; the book of Acts documents his conversion and some of his travels.