Saul of Tarsus (Paul the Apostle) converted to Christianity after an experience on the Road to Damascus around 34 AD and became known as the "Apostle to the Gentiles."
NOT BSTOTAL BS
HARDLY BS — Verdict: Mostly True
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
The core of the statement is well supported. Paul’s Damascus-road experience is a central and widely attested turning point in his life, and he is commonly known for his mission to the Gentiles. The main limits are that “around 34 AD” is only approximate and some scholars prefer “call” or “commission” over “conversion.”
Caveats
The exact year is not firmly established; scholarship usually places the event broadly in the early-to-mid 30s CE, often about 33–36 CE.
“Conversion” is traditional language, but some scholars argue Paul saw the Damascus event as a prophetic call or commissioning rather than a straightforward religious conversion.
Several weaker devotional or commercial sources in the evidence pool should not carry the same weight as Britannica, peer-reviewed scholarship, or the primary biblical texts.