St. Paul the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus (c. CE 5-c. CE 67) was a prominent leader of Christianity in the religion's infancy. According to the Bible, Saul of Tarsus was a Jewish citizen of the Roman Empire who actively persecuted the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. While traveling to Damascus, Saul met the resurrected Jesus, an encounter that left Saul blind for three days. When his sight was restored, Saul converted to Christianity and became an ardent missionary. Many of his writings, addressed as letters to churches in different provinces (primarily in Greece), were critical to the formation of the New Testament. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he took the name Paul from a man named Sergius Paulus who was his benefactor at one point.