Melita: (Acts 28:1) an island in the Mediterranean, the modern Malta. Here the
ship in which Paul was being conveyed a prisoner to Rome was wrecked.
The bay in which it was wrecked now bears the name of "St. Paul's
Bay", "a certain creek with a shore." It is about 2 miles deep
and 1 broad, and the whole physical condition of the scene answers
the description of the shipwreck given in
(Acts 28:1)ff It was
originally colonized by Phoenicians ("barbarians,")
(Acts 28:2) It
came into the possession of the Greeks (B.C. 736) from whom it was
taken by the Carthaginians (B.C. 528) In B.C. 242 it was conquered by
the Romans, and was governed by a Roman propraetor at the time of the
shipwreck
(Acts 28:7) Since 1800, when the French garrison surrendered
to the English force, it has been a British dependency. The island is
about 17 miles long and 9 wide, and about 60 in circumference. After a
stay of three months on this island, during which the "barbarians"
showed them no little kindness, Julius procured for himself and his
company a passage in another Alexandrian corn-ship which had wintered
in the island, in which they proceeded on their voyage to Rome
(Acts 28:13,14)
