Saul was a native of Tarsus. Tarsus was an important city in ancient Cilicia, located in modern-day Turkey. Saul, who later became known as the apostle Paul, was born in Tarsus and grew up there. Tarsus was a significant center of learning and culture, and it is likely that Saul received a good education there. As a young man, Saul became a Pharisee and was zealous for the Jewish faith, persecuting Christians until he had a transformative encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. The fact that Saul was from Tarsus is mentioned several times in the New Testament, including in Acts of the Apostles and in Paul's letters.