Editing Paul the Apostle (section)

== Remains ==
According to the {{lang|la|[[Liber Pontificalis]]}}, Paul's body was buried outside the walls of Rome, at the second mile on the [[Via Ostiensis]], on the estate owned by a Christian woman named Lucina.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spazioinwind.libero.it/lucina/lucina.htm|title=Lucina|website=spazioinwind.libero.it}}</ref> It was here, in the fourth century, that the Emperor [[Constantine the Great]] built a first church. Then, between the fourth and fifth centuries, it was considerably enlarged by the Emperors [[Valentinian I]], [[Valentinian II]], [[Theodosius I]], and [[Arcadius]]. The present-day [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls]] was built there in the early 19th century.<ref name=VaticanBenedict/>

[[Caius (presbyter)|Caius]] in his ''Disputation Against Proclus'' (198 AD) mentions this of the places in which the remains of the apostles Peter and Paul were deposited: "I can point out the trophies of the apostles. For if you are willing to go to the Vatican or to the Ostian Way, you will find the trophies of those who founded this Church".<ref name=EcclHist_II.25 />

Writing on Paul's biography, [[Jerome]] in his {{lang|la|[[De Viris Illustribus (Jerome)|De Viris Illustribus]]}} in 392 AD mentions that "Paul was buried in the Ostian Way at Rome".<ref name="auto">{{cite web|author=Jerome|title=On Illustrious Men : Chapter 5|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2708.htm|access-date=3 June 2015|work=New Advent}}</ref>

In 2002, an {{convert|8|foot|m|adj=on}}-long marble sarcophagus, inscribed with the words {{lang|la|"PAULO APOSTOLO MART"}}, which translates as "Paul apostle martyr", was discovered during excavations around the [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls]] on the [[Via Ostiensis]]. Vatican archaeologists declared this to be the tomb of Paul the Apostle in December 2006, the excavation having been completed in November.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fraser |first=Christopher |date=2006-12-07 |title=St Paul's tomb unearthed in Rome |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6219656.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224012105/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6219656.stm |archive-date=2023-12-24 |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-04 |title=On Paul's tomb, at the origins of Roman Christianity |url=https://www.exaudi.org/on-pauls-tomb-at-the-origins-of-roman-christianity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705044024/https://www.exaudi.org/on-pauls-tomb-at-the-origins-of-roman-christianity/ |archive-date=2024-07-05 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Exaudi |language=en-US}}</ref> In the early 2000s, Vatican archaeologists conducted excavations to make the tomb more accessible to pilgrims. These excavations confirmed the presence of a white marble sarcophagus beneath the altar. The sarcophagus was not removed, but a window was created to allow visitors to view it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valsecchi |first=Maria Cristina |date=2006-12-31 |title=St. Paul's Tomb Unearthed in Rome |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/news-st-paul-tomb-found-rome |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530123418/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/news-st-paul-tomb-found-rome |archive-date=2023-05-30 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=[[National Geographic]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2009-06-29 |title=Bones confirmed as St Paul's remains |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bones-confirmed-as-st-paul-s-remains-1723751.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628081146/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bones-confirmed-as-st-paul-s-remains-1723751.html |archive-date=2024-06-28 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en}}</ref>

In 2009, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] announced that [[radiocarbon dating]] of bone fragments found in the sarcophagus indicated they were from the 1st or 2nd century, aligning with the traditional timeline of Paul's life.<ref name=":0" /> The Pope argued that this discovery, along with other artifacts such as a piece of purple linen laminated with pure gold, grains of [[incense]], and blue textiles with [[linen]] filaments, all support the hypothesis that the remains are indeed those of Saint Paul.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-06-29 |title=Pope Says Tests 'Seem to Conclude' Bones Are the Apostle Paul's |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/science/29vatican.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628081147/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/science/29vatican.html |archive-date=2024-06-28 |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Squires |first=Nick |date=2009-06-29 |title=Bone fragments confirmed to be Saint Paul |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/5685157/Bone-fragments-confirmed-to-be-Saint-Paul.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119234656/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/5685157/Bone-fragments-confirmed-to-be-Saint-Paul.html |archive-date=2023-11-19 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |language=en}}</ref> However, Ulderico Santamaria, the head of the [[Vatican Museum]]s' diagnostics laboratory and a Professor with expertise in Analytical Chemistry and Materials Engineering at Tuscia University, urged caution, noting that the dating neither confirms nor invalidates the relics' traditional assignment to St. Paul.<ref name="UPIbonesLab">{{cite news |title=Vatican: Relics analysis is inconclusive |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/04/Vatican-Relics-analysis-is-inconclusive/UPI-25501246685972/ |access-date=2 November 2024 |work=[[UPI]] |date=July 4, 2009}}</ref> 

The Vatican also confirmed that it had discovered and restored the earliest known image of Saint Paul, dating to the early 4th century AD, in the [[Catacomb of Saint Thecla|Catacomb of Saint Thekla]], close to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pisa |first=Nick |date=2009-06-28 |title='Oldest' image of St Paul discovered |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/5675461/Oldest-image-of-St-Paul-discovered.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223213838/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/5675461/Oldest-image-of-St-Paul-discovered.html |archive-date=2024-02-23 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |language=en}}</ref> In 2010 it was revealed that this [[icon]], painted on the ceiling of a catacomb, was adjacent to the oldest known depictions of [[Saint Peter]], [[John the Apostle|Saint John]], and [[Andrew the Apostle|Saint Andrew]], surrounding an image of Christ as the [[Good Shepherd]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-06-22 |title=Earliest icons of Peter and Paul found |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37845439 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329155129/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37845439 |archive-date=2023-03-29 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en}}</ref>