Crete is the largest island of Greece, in the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Aegean Sea. In antiquity it lay on important sea routes between the East and Rome, and centuries before that it had been the cradle of Minoan civilization.
The island appears in Paul’s voyage as a prisoner on his way to Rome. The ship seeks shelter near Crete because of contrary winds, and Paul warns the crew about the danger of continuing the voyage at that time of year.
The centurion in charge of the prisoners follows the advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship, not Paul’s. Leaving the coast of the island in search of another harbor, the ship is caught by a storm that drives it to shipwreck near Malta.
On another occasion, Paul leaves Titus in Crete with the task of organizing the churches already there, appointing elders in every town. The letter to Titus shows that the gospel had already reached the island, despite the unflattering reputation its own people had among the ancients.
