02.35. Islands

Islands

Israel has never been known for its seafaring, and the islands of the Mediterranean do not feature often in the biblical story. Crete, however, was an indirect source of influence in Israel’s affairs, because it was the original land of the Philistines.¹ In New Testament times, Paul visited the island and left Titus there to deal with difficulties in the churches.² The island today is part of the nation of Greece.

Cyprus was once known as Kittim, and its people were renowned sea traders.³ In New Testament times the island had a large population of Jews, some of whom, on becoming Christians, broke loose from their more traditional brothers and embarked upon a radical mission to the Gentiles. Barnabas, a Jewish Cypriot, went with Paul, and later Mark, on evangelistic missions to Cyprus.⁴ In Cyprus today local evangelicals are few. But the country is an important base for many Christian ministries to the Middle East. Politically, it struggles to establish its independence, the land being partitioned between a majority population that is Greek and Orthodox and a minority population that is Turkish and Muslim. The islands Lesbos (location of Mitylene), Chios, Samos, Patmos, Cos and Rhodes, which appear in the biblical record, are all part of present-day Greece. They are, however, on the opposite side of the Aegean Sea and are close to the coast of Turkey.⁵

Malta and Sicily, two islands close to the mainland of Italy, feature briefly in the account of Paul’s journey to Rome.⁶ Malta is today an independent nation, but Sicily is part of Italy. Both islands are almost entirely Catholic.

1. See page 8 2. Acts 27:7-21; Titus 1:5 3. Genesis 10:2-5; Numbers 24:24; Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:12; Ezekiel 27:6 4. Acts 4:36; Acts 11:19-20; Acts 13:2-6; Acts 15:39 5. Acts 20:14-15; Acts 21:1; Revelation 1:9; see also Ezekiel 27:15 6. Acts 28:1; Acts 28:12-13. Syracuse is on Sicily.

St Paul’s Bay, Malta