Why did Saul ask the high priest for permission to go to Damascus?
Saul asked the high priest for permission to go to Damascus because he believed he had already cleared Jerusalem and Judea of believers, and there were still followers of Christ in Damascus. He wanted to continue his religious persecution and put them to death.
Les explains that Saul had made so much headway in Jerusalem and Judea that he thought he had cleaned house and there was nothing left to do. He therefore asked the high priest for permission to go to Damascus, because there were still believers up there. Les notes that archaeological digging shows many Jewish believers fled Jerusalem for fear of Saul's and other religious persecutions, migrating to Galilee and even as far as Damascus. Beyond religious zeal, Les teaches that money also motivated him; he profited in the Jews religion, and like other religions, wealth was gathered from the lower levels.