I. Identrfication of the Locality. — Melita was the an- cient name of Malta (see J. F.Wandalin, Diss, de Me- lita Pauli, Havn, 1707), and also of a small island in
MELITA
the Adriatic, now called Meleda (MeXiTivi] vtjaoc, Ptol. ii, 17, 39 ; comp. Pliny, iii, 30 ; Apollon. Rhod. iv, 572), and each of these has found warm advocates for its identification with the Melita of Scripture (see Ciantar's edition of Abela's Malta Jllustrata, i, 608), the former being the traditionary and long-established opinion (see - Ign. Giorgi, Paulus in mari quod nunc Venetus sinus diei- tur, navfragus,Yen. 1730; Jac. de Rhoer, Z>e Pauli ad insul. Melit. naufragio, Traj. ad R. 1743 ; comp. Bibl. Ital. xi, 127 ; Nov. Miscell. Lips, iv, 308 ; Paulus, tiamml. iv,356), liable only to the objection that the part of the Mediterranean in which it is situated was not properly " the Sea of Adria" (Dr. Falconer's Dissertation on St. Paul's Voyage, 1817), which has been shown (see Wet- stein's Comment, ad loc.) to be without force (see J. Smith, Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul, Lond. 1848; also Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paul, ii, 353). As, however, the controversy on this subject has been somewhat voluminous, we will discuss it in detail, avail- ing ourselves for this purpose of the summary found in Smith's Diet, of the Bible, s. v.
1. Arguments in Favor of Malta.— {\.) We take St. Paul's ship in the condition in which we find her about a day after leaving Fair Havens, i. e. when she was un- der the lee of Clauda (Acts xxvii, 16), laid to on the starboard tack, and strengthened with "undergirders" [see Ship], the boat being just taken on board, and the gale blowing hard from the east-north-east. See Eu- ROCLYDOS. (2.) Assuming (what everj- practiced sailor would allow) that the ship's direction of driit would be about west by north, and her rate of drift about a mile and a half an hour, we come at once to the conclusion, by measuring the distance on the chart, that she would be brought to the coast of Malta on the thirteenth day (see ver. 27). (3.) A ship drifting in this direction to the place traditionally known as St. Paul's Bay, woidd come to that spot on the coast without touching any other part of the island previously. The coast, in fact, trends from this bay to the south-east. This may be seen on consulting any map or chart of Malta. (4.) On Koura Point, which is the south-easterly extremity of the bay, there must infallibly have been breakers, with the wind blowing from the north-east. Now the alarm was certainly caused by breakers, for it took place in the night (ver. 27), and it does not appear that the passengers were at first aware of the danger which be- came sensible to the quick ear of the " sailors." (5.) Yet the vessel did not strike ; and this corresponds with the position of the point, which would be some little distance on the port side, or to the left of the vessel. (6.) Oft" this point of the coast the soundings are twenty fathoms (ver. 28), and a little farther, in the direction of the supposed drift, they are fifteen fathoms (ver. 28). (7.) Though the danger was imminent, we shall find from examining the chart that there would stiU be time to anchor (ver. 29) before striking on the rocks ahead. (8.) With bad holding-ground there would have been great risk of the ship dragging her anchors. But the bottom of St. Paul's Bay is remarkably tenacious. In Purdy's Sailing Directions (p. 180) it is said of it that " while the cables hold there is no danger, as the an- chors will never start." (9.) The other geological char- acteristics of the place are in harmony with the narra- tive, which describes the creek as having in one place a sandy or muddy beach {koXttov ixovra alyiaXov, ver. 39), and which states that the bow of the ship was held fast in the shore, while the stern was exposed to the action of the waves (ver. 41). For particulars we must refer to the work (mentioned below) of Mr. Smitli, an accomplished geologist. (10.) Another point of local detail is of considerable interest — viz. that, as the ship took the ground, the place was observed to be ciS'i'iXaa- (Toc, i. e. a connection was noticed between two appar- ently separate pieces of water. We shall sec, on looking at the chart, that this would be the case. The small island of Salmonetta would at first appear to be a part of Malta itself; but the passage would open on the right
MELITA
62
MELITA
Chart of Part of the Coast of Malta.
as the vessel passed to the place of shipwreck. (11.) Jlalta is in the track of ships between Alexandria and ruteoli; and this corresponds with the fact that the "Castor and Pollux," an Alexandrian vessel which ulti- mately conveyed St. Paul to Italy, had wintered in the | island (Acts xxviii, 1 1). (12.) Finally, the course pur- I sued in this conclusion of the voyage, first to Syracuse and then to Khegium, contributes a last link to the chain of arguments by which we prove that Melita is ' Malta. ' j