Togatus
Paul says: "But I was born a Roman" (Acts 22:28). He does not mean that he was born in Rome itself. Paul is referring to the Roman citizenship that…
Further informationI'm leaving, but where to?
CHAPTER 2 – MY EARLY YEARS
The Acts of the Apostles is the primary source for the life of Paul. According to this text, Paul hailed from Tarsus, a commercial and port city in present-day Turkey. With a population of 300,000, it was roughly the size of modern-day Münster. Tarsus was a Roman provincial capital, and it was shaped by cultural influences from Greece and Western Asia. The writer Strabo (c. 63 BC – after AD 23) highlights the city's high level of education and the significant roles played by philosophy and rhetoric.
The Acts of the Apostles also mentions Paul’s Hebrew name: Saul. However, in his own writings, he refers to himself only as Paul. Born into a Jewish family, he traveled to Jerusalem to study under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel. It is in Jerusalem that Paul makes his first appearance in the Acts of the Apostles—at the stoning of Stephen, a member of the early Christian community. According to Luke, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of Saul, who approved of the stoning (Acts 8:1).
Tarsian Coins
In Tarsus, different traditions and influences converge. This is also reflected on the coins of the city. They depict the locally significant god…
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Busts of the Prophets from the former High Altar Retable
Paulus is born into a Jewish family and raised in the Jewish faith. Judaism at the time of Paulus consists of various groups. Among them, the…
Further informationGlass Fragment with a Young Paul
This shard is a rim fragment of an ancient round cut-glass bowl. Motifs are carved into the glass surface by grinding or cutting. The pictorial field…
Further informationSt. Stephen from the former rood screen of St. Paul's Cathedral
The apostles select seven deacons—including Stephen—to assist their community in Jerusalem. His Christian convictions lead to conflict with other…
Further informationEpistolary with book cover depicting the Stoning of Saint Stephen
The book cover depicts the stoning focused on three figures: the stone-thrower with his arm raised high, Stephen sinking to the ground, and Paul…
Further informationA stone from St. Stephan´s stoning
According to tradition, the bones of Stephen were buried by the two Pharisees Gamaliel and Nicodemus. Gamaliel was the teacher under whom Paul…
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Reliquary Monstrance
Stephen is considered the first follower of Christ to have died for his faith. He is therefore also called Arch- or Proto- (for first) Martyr.
Further informationReliquary Cross
Even in the time of Liudger, the first Bishop of Münster (†805), Stephen was a popular saint. His relics can already be documented in one of the…
Further informationSt Paul Window in the Choir
Through his participation in the stoning, an inseparable bond is created between Paul and Stephen. Already Augustine (354–430) emphasizes the…
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