Who Was Alive

Were Paul the Apostle and Cai Lun alive at the same time?

Yes. Paul the Apostle and Cai Lun were alive at the same time, from AD 48–62 to AD 64–67.

Paul the Apostle

Paul the Apostle

Roman apostle and missionary

Born c. AD 5 · died AD 64–67

Cai Lun

Cai Lun

Chinese inventor

Born AD 48–62 · died AD 121

  1. Augustus, 63 BC – AD 14
  2. Ovid, 43 BC – AD 17
  3. Saint Peter, BC – c. AD 66
  4. Paul the Apostle, c. AD 5 – c. AD 66
  5. Plutarch, c. AD 45 – c. AD 120
  6. Cai Lun, c. AD 55 – AD 121
  7. Tacitus, c. AD 55 – c. AD 120
  8. Ptolemy, c. AD 100 – c. AD 170

Paul the Apostle and Cai Lun in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries; dashed lines mark world events. Drag across, or use the arrow keys, to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.

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Events both lived through

Where Paul the Apostle and Cai Lun were born

Paul the Apostle and Cai Lun are labelled, with the contemporaries on the timeline. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (8 of 8 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list