In a district as large and busy as the Roman province of Syria, we can be sure Festus would have inherited a rather large case load from Felix. Paul was simply the most perplexing case. Once it was settled he would be sent to Rome, Festus arranged to send Paul with other prisoners, but we can't know how many. It was enough for a centurion and some portion of his troops, if not all hundred of them, to escort the prisoners. At this point, Luke includes himself in the narrative again, and travels with Paul. There was also Aristarchus whom we know from Paul's letters was an active worker in missions. This entourage took passage on a small coastal cargo vessel.
It's unlikely Paul and his friends got much advance notice, so it was with some relief the ship stopped the next day at Sidon. The centurion, Julius, granted Paul as much liberty as regulations allowed, which probably meant at least one soldier escorting him to see his friends in the city. These would surely have seen to it Paul was better supplied for this long journey to Rome.
This would be early autumn, the end of a long dry spell. For a time, the prevailing winds would be westerly. So running north was fine, but in order to head west commonly required sailing around the horn of Cyprus, where they could pick up sea currents and breezes off the mainland which would allow them to make Myra in a week or two. In Myra, Julius found a Roman government grain ship. These were some of the largest ships on the Mediterranean, typically had two sails, the smaller one a jib near the bow. There were two rudders mounted rather like very large oars on either side of the stern. The cargo was stored in thousands of amphorae. There was room for quite a few passengers and crew. This one was forced by prevailing winds to come almost straight north up from Alexandria so as to crawl along the islands and coasts that time of year.
The situation made Julius the senior officer on the ship, and he was anxious to avoid delay. By now the winds would have shifted to the northwest. They sailed right away, and it was slow going. The ship crept along the shores and islands, barely getting past Cnidus, and dropped south toward Crete. They were pretty much forced to take a break and rest at Fair Havens. It was hardly safe from the increasingly stormy weather, facing directly into the northwesterly winds. But they could make no progress until the winds dropped or changed. A mere forty miles further west and a bit north was a better harbor named Phoenix. Luke notes at this point the Day of Atonement was past, which makes it early October. Sailing in the Mediterranean typically ceased by then until after winter. Paul warns the ship will be lost if they proceed, which would surely be fatal for all aboard. Julius was more swayed by the confidence of the pilot and ship's owner, who were up for a contract bonus if they delivered during winter months. So they decided at least to make Phoenix.
At some point, the winds shifted around south and were light. They cast off and hugged the coastline where it turned north, but a short time later were hit by a fierce gale, which varied from east to northeast. It drove them off the coast and out to sea. So they crossed south of Clauda, where they laboriously pulled aboard the skiff which had been dragging off the stern, now almost swamped by high waves. Then heavy ropes were wrapped around midships to prevent planks working loose on the hull from the flexing such high waves would cause on a heavily laden ship. But the winds appeared to be driving them into the Syrtis sands (modern Gulf of Sidra, Libya), so they lowered the sails and faced the ship north, almost into the wind, letting it drift slowly westward by facing broadside to the more easterly gusts.
The next day, they took the obvious step of lightening the ship so it would float higher out of the water. First to go was personal baggage. Next day it was the spare ship's equipment. The grain was simply too important still. Day after day, they could not even see the sky to gauge their direction of drift, and were preparing themselves for sinking and drowning. It was hard to eat during such conditions, with emotional and physical turmoil, hardly able to stand and prepare anything.
Paul addressed the masters of the ship. He reminded them he had warned this would happen. Then, he told of a vision. Among superstitious pagans of that day, sailors and soldiers were the more so. It would be hard to imagine they did not credit his promise they would all be saved because of his prayers, since the whole point for Paul was his God's call to Rome. So while they would all survive, they would lose the ship running aground on some island. So by now, two weeks into this mess, the sailors noticed around midnight the sounds of water crashing on some shore. Dropping a weighted line with depth markings, they found the bottom was drawing shallower, and dropped anchors to slow their movement, since Adriatic shores were typically rocky. This would turn the ship stern to the wind, and slow their drift. Unable to see, they hoped to hold position long enough for daylight.
The crew were ready to abandon ship, and set the skiff over the side on the pretense of adding anchors off the bow. The Lord permitted Paul to see through their ruse, and warned the centurion. He had his soldiers cut away the lines securing the skiff and let it drift away. It required the sailors to turn the ship into the bay, so as not to miss it, since they were drifting along parallel to the northern shore of Malta. At dawn Paul advised everyone to eat a full meal, because they would need their strength to swim ashore, and again promised they would all survive unharmed, if wet. So he offered thanks in the traditional fashion, then ate a full meal himself. Everyone suddenly realized how hungry they were and joined him. Luke notes there were 267 people on the ship. Then they jettisoned all the grain jars. At full light, they could see a bay with a nice beach, and proceeded to steer the ship toward it. They cut the anchor lines and dropped the rudders into the water. The rudders were mounted to the sides in those days, and had been lashed up out of the water, since they had been useless until that point. They also raised the jib sail.
Near the place today on Malta known as Saint Paul's Bay is a long finger of land, and we surmise it is this the ship struck before making the turn south along the shore. With the bow stuck hard, the ship's planking already loose from days of rocking in heavy seas, the waves pounding the ship from the rear began breaking it apart. The soldiers prepared to execute the prisoners to prevent any escaping due justice. This was standard policy, but Julius countermanded it. This was about the only way he could spare Paul, who had won his admiration. He ordered those passengers who could swim to jump first and clear the ship. Then those who needed assistance could grab anything that would float, or be helped by the crew. Sure enough, they all survived.
So we see Paul's confidence in a horrific situation, because he knew of a certainty beyond all reason His God was not ready for him to perish. By such faith he also prayed for the safety of the people with him, and God granted it.
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By Ed Hurst
31 October 2009
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