I am going to guess that he means the following, reading the dispersal of the Jews as referring to the effects of the First Jewish War:Bernard Muller wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:54 pmWhere did you read that in Jerome's works? Jerome had Paul's public life much earlier.(Jerome says he flourished after the War.)
Jerome, On Famous Men 5: 5 Paul, formerly called Saul, an apostle outside the number of the twelve apostles, was of the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Gischala in Judea. When this was taken by the Romans he removed with his parents to Tarsus in Cilicia. Sent by them to Jerusalem to study law he was educated by Gamaliel, a most learned man whom Luke mentions. .... / 5 Paulus apostolus, qui ante Saulus, extra numerum duodecim apostolorum, de tribu Beniamin et oppido Iudaeae Giscalis fuit, quo a Romanis capto cum parentibus suis Tarsum Ciliciae commigravit, a quibus ob studia legis missus Hierosolymam, a Gamaliele viro doctissimo cuius Lucas meminit, eruditus est. ....
Jerome, Commentary on Philemon 1.23: 23 “Epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus greets you” (= Philemon [1.]23), he says. We have received the following story about this Epaphras, Paul’s fellow prisoner. They say that the apostle Paul’s parents were from the region of Gischala in Judea, and that when the whole province was laid waste by the hands of the Romans, and the Jews were dispersed into the world, they were moved to the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. As a young man he followed the condition of his parents. And thus what he testifies about himself can be confirmed: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s seed? So am I” (= 2 Corinthians 11.22). And again elsewhere he says, “Hebrew of Hebrews” (= Philippians 3.5). and the other things that indicate that he was a Jew more than a man of Tarsus. But if this is so, we can conjecture that Epaphras too was arrested at that time when Paul was taken, and that having been found with his own parents in Colossae, a city of Asia, he later received the word about Christ. This is why it is written to the Colossians, as we said above, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ, greets you, being always earnest over you in his prayers” (= Colossians 4.12).
Jerome, Commentary on Philemon 1.23: 23 “Epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus greets you” (= Philemon [1.]23), he says. We have received the following story about this Epaphras, Paul’s fellow prisoner. They say that the apostle Paul’s parents were from the region of Gischala in Judea, and that when the whole province was laid waste by the hands of the Romans, and the Jews were dispersed into the world, they were moved to the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. As a young man he followed the condition of his parents. And thus what he testifies about himself can be confirmed: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s seed? So am I” (= 2 Corinthians 11.22). And again elsewhere he says, “Hebrew of Hebrews” (= Philippians 3.5). and the other things that indicate that he was a Jew more than a man of Tarsus. But if this is so, we can conjecture that Epaphras too was arrested at that time when Paul was taken, and that having been found with his own parents in Colossae, a city of Asia, he later received the word about Christ. This is why it is written to the Colossians, as we said above, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ, greets you, being always earnest over you in his prayers” (= Colossians 4.12).