Malta
Where is Malta? An island nation south of Sicily where Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome and stayed three months, with the chapters where it appears.
- Today
- Republic of Malta (island nation), Mediterranean
- Country
- Malta
- Status
- Island nation: St Paul's Bay and St Paul's Grotto in Rabat
- Identification
- Certain
Malta is the island of the shipwreck Paul survived while being taken to Rome as a prisoner. Acts tells how the 276 people on board were driven by a storm for fourteen nights and then all reached land safely. On the island a viper fastened on Paul's hand but did him no harm; the father of Publius, the island's leading man, was healed of fever through his prayer, and other sick people were then cured as well. The travellers spent the winter there and set sail three months later.
Read the chapters
- Acts 27
A chapter recounting in vivid detail how the ship carrying Paul as a prisoner is caught in a violent storm, highlighting one man who keeps his composure on a voyage that seems hopeless.
- Acts 28
Related topics
Related people
- Paul
- Peter
- Barnabas
- Stephen
- Lydia
- Matthew
- Timothy
- John the Apostle
- Philip the Apostle
- Judas Iscariot
- Mark
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Salvation
- Bible Verses About Repentance
- Bible Verses About Generosity
- Bible Verses About Witness
Reading plans
- The Early Church Through Acts — 28 Days
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
- 30 Days with the Gospel — An Introduction to the New Testament
Books
Places in the Bible
Where is Malta, and which country is it?
Malta today is an independent island nation in the Mediterranean, south of the Italian island of Sicily; its capital is Valletta. Paul stayed on the island for three months after the shipwreck he survived on the way to Rome (Acts 28:1, 28:11). Maltese tradition places the wreck at St Paul's Bay in the north of the island, and visitors to Rabat see St Paul's Grotto, where he is believed to have stayed. The feast of St Paul's Shipwreck is kept on the island every 10 February.
What did Paul do on Malta?
According to Acts 28, a viper fastened on Paul's hand but did him no harm. The father of Publius, the island's leading man, was healed through his prayer, and then other sick people on the island were cured (Acts 28:8-9). Three months later he set sail again (Acts 28:11).
Where on Malta did Paul's ship run aground?
The Bible only mentions a bay with a beach and a place where two seas met (Acts 27:39-41). Maltese tradition links the spot with St Paul's Bay in the north of the island; the exact location is debated.