While what paul does say doesn't line up with the historical facts of Jerusalem at the time, he might have existed and just been a liar. After all, he never met Jesus, claims to have been the only one with a vision, and the walled city of Jerusalem in the year 50 when he takes over, Gamliel is dead and can't say "You said I said WHAT?!?!", and the members of the House of Shammi (now fully infiltrated by the zealots and thugs) have forced the house of Hillel to step down, killing the opposition until they conceded, and forcing extreme religious views on those in the walled city.
If Paul had started selling the son of god stuff at that time, he would have been a dead man. If he was a snake oil salesman, then he would have found a market (slaves and women, the downtrodden), and sold stuff to them. People have wondered why he would have yelled at anyone trying to incorporate Jewish stuff into their practice and said "circumcision, torah, and mitzvot I treated as crap in order to accept a Christ" (paraphrasing). He was so much on the other side, that the conspiracy that he was sent out by the pharisees to get jesus away from the jews has come up from time to time. It may be silliness, but it's still fun speculating.
If Paul had started selling the son of god stuff at that time, he would have been a dead man. If he was a snake oil salesman, then he would have found a market (slaves and women, the downtrodden), and sold stuff to them. People have wondered why he would have yelled at anyone trying to incorporate Jewish stuff into their practice and said "circumcision, torah, and mitzvot I treated as crap in order to accept a Christ" (paraphrasing). He was so much on the other side, that the conspiracy that he was sent out by the pharisees to get jesus away from the jews has come up from time to time. It may be silliness, but it's still fun speculating.
“I've done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!"— Ned Flanders
