The story of Sa'ul Part One

Once upon a time in the province of Tarsus was a charming non-practicing Hellenistic Jew named Sa'ul. Sa'ul was a social climber. He craved to be in like Flynn. He curried favor from his neighbors, the Romans, the Greeks, the Gauls in Galatia, the tax collectors, the fish merchants, the salt merchants, the usurers and the wine merchants. He ate what he liked, whenever he liked. He gave lip service to the local synagogue and the Roman oracle and received their favor and kind words through generous donations.

Sa'ul heard from a seafarer that a Jewish King named Herod had an unmarried daughter, her name was Adi (for some reason, she is popularly known as to you all as Salome), and Herod was looking for a suitor. Sa'ul did not have much to offer in riches, and his Greek and Roman connections were confined to his own small corner of the world, but he did have chutzpah, in spades. Sa'ul decided he would depart Tarsus, see this King Herod, curry his favor and secure the hand of the fair Adi.