Vatican archaeologists say they have conclusive proof that a Roman tomb long revered as that of St Paul is in fact that of the former Jew persecutor who underwent the original Road to Damascus conversion.
"We are certain that this is the tomb already recognised in the Fourth Century as that of St Paul the Apostle," said archaeologist Giorgio Filippi, head of the dig at the site where pilgrims have flocked for centuries.
The cathedral, St Paul Outside the Walls, is the largest church in Rome after St Peter's and is about three kilometres outside the ancient walls of Rome.
Filippi said his team had found a Roman sarcophagus "exactly underneath the epigraph Paulo Apostolo Mart (Paul the Apostle and Martyr) at the base of the cathedral's main altar".
"It has a hole on top through which pieces of cloth could be pushed, touching the relic and becoming holy in their turn," Filippi said.
Paul was a Roman Jew, born in Tarsus in modern-day Turkey, who started out trying to fight Christianity but later became possibly the greatest shaper of the Church.
He did not know Jesus in life but converted to Christianity after seeing a shining light on the road to Damascus.
The saint, who called himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, was a great traveller, visiting Cyprus, Asia Minor, mainland Greece, Crete, and Rome bringing the gospel of Jesus.
His 14 letters are largely written to churches which he had founded or visited.
They tell Christians what they should believe and how they should live but do not say much about Jesus' life and teachings.
Paul's influence on Christian thinking has, arguably, been more significant than any other single New Testament author.
His works were hugely influential on some of the great Christian thinkers and leaders of movements, including St Augustine and Martin Luther.
St Paul is the patron saint of Malta and the City of London and has also had several cities named in his honour including Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Saint Paul, Minnesota.
