|
Of all the great men and women who honored Tarsus by their presence, none compares with the Apostle Paul in his influence
on Christianity. Born a Jew, but, unlike most Jews, having the benefits of Roman citizenship, he attended school in the large
Jewish community in Tarsus and learned a trade like all Jewish boys. For him the trade was tent making, one of the specialties
of Tarsus. He must have grown up knowing Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and possibly something of the local dialect, too. As
a young man he went to Jerusalem to study under the great teacher Gamaliel. He belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, who
held both Scripture and tradition to be valid and binding. While in Jerusalem, he was an accomplice in the stoning of Stephen,
the first Christian martyr. After his sudden conversion to Christianity on the Damascus road, he was active in proclaiming
Jesus as the Messiah both there and in Jerusalem. In both cities because of strong opposition he had to flee for his life,
once escaping to Tarsus.
|
