The Name of Paul

Abstract

Accession Number: ATLA0000949433; Language(s): English; Scripture Citation: Acts 22:8; Acts 23:34; Issued by ATLA: 20140825; Publication Type: ArticlePaul must have had a full Roman name, with the cognomen "Paulus", but we are ignorant of his praenomen and nomen, and of the circumstances in which his forebears may have received the names of a Roman benefactor at enfranchisement. A Latin inscription of Naples illustrates three aspects of the problem of Paul's name and social standing. The significance of Roman names in the NT and the provenance of "Paulus" itself are briefly discussed.