The Tomb of Paul

In 2002, archaeologists commissioned by the Vatican discovered a 2.4-meter-long marble sarcophagus beneath the altar of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The sarcophagus was inscribed with the Latin words “PAULO APOSTOLO MART,” meaning “Paul the Apostle and Martyr.”

Archaeologists used a probe to examine the contents of the sarcophagus and found incense, blue and purple linen, and bone fragments. Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the bones belonged to the 1st or 2nd century AD, which aligns with the time of the Apostle Paul’s martyrdom. After a rigorous scientific analysis of the remains, on June 28, 2009, it was confirmed that the bones within the sarcophagus were those of the Apostle Paul himself.