What really caused Apostle Paul's blindness? Scientists believe they've figured it out

A comparison among modern celestial events may help find what caused Apostle Paul to lose his eyesight for three days. His temporary blindness is an important historical event for the Christians as it led to where religion and the world is today, making it a significant topic among scientists.

span style="line-height: 15.8599996566772px;">MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "The well-recorded Chelyabinsk event, the Tunguska event, and the re-entry of the Zond IV vehicle offer opportunities to compare reactions of modern eyewitnesses to eyewitness accounts of possible ancient fireball events," William Hartman, working with the non-profit organization Planetary Science Institute, wrote.

According to his claim, both the Chelyabinsk and Tunguska fireballs are highly likely to be the light from Heaven described in the Acts of the Apostles.

Hartman said that the symptoms Apostle Paul described are likely to be caused by the intense radiation, which probably led to the medical condition we know now as photokeratitis.


According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the condition is "like having a sunburn" on the eyes, which usually goes away on its own. Additionally, in a statement with New Scientist, Raj Das-Bhaum, working at the Moorefields Eye Hospital in London, said that what happened to Apostle Paul is not something caused by exposure to extreme light.

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"You wouldn't expect bits of the eye to fall off; I've not come across that at all. If this were a meteorite, I'm sure you'd have other damage as well," he said.

Likewise, theologian Albert Barnes suggested that a meteor is one possible way, written in his book "Scenes And Incidents In The Life Of The Apostle Paul: Viewed As Illustrating The Nature And Influence Of The Christian Religion," same as Hartman's.

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