No, he wasn't.
Based upon what you've said about Saul, it is apparent that you know neither the Bible nor its gospel.
Salvation by Christ was always "in effect". There was never any time when it wasn't, nor was there ever any other way to salvation. Following the laws/rituals of the Jewish religion salvation could bring salvation to anyone and were anathema to God because they were based upon man's works not Christ's. Everyone, from OT through NT, were saved the exactly the same way - by Christ alone. The Jewish religion found no favor with God. At its best, it could only serve as a symbol of the true but was not itself the true. The Jews
could not comprehend that and trusted in it for salvation thereby brining the wrath of God upon themselves.
[Eze 20:25 KJV]
25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were] not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
[Heb 10:4, 6 KJV]
4 For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ...
6 In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.