Island
Crete
KREET · Modern Crete, Greece
Crete is a island of the biblical world.
What is known
- Paul left Titus here to organize the church and appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5)
- Paul's ship, en route to Rome, sailed along Crete's coast and sheltered at Fair Havens before the storm that led to shipwreck (Acts 27:7-13)
- Titus 1:12 quotes a Cretan poet's blunt assessment: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons"
History
- Founded
- A large Mediterranean island, home to the ancient Minoan civilization and later a Roman province
- Population
- Estimated 200,000–300,000 residents across the island in the Roman era
- Coordinates
- 35.0631° N, 24.9469° E
Archaeology
Ancient Gortyn, traditionally identified as the seat of Titus, has been excavated by Italian archaeologists since 1884. Major remains include the Basilica of Agios Titos and a Roman Odeon famous for housing the Gortyn Code, the oldest largely intact ancient Greek law code. The identification of Gortyn as the New Testament "Crete" episcopal seat rests on later ecclesiastical tradition rather than direct 1st-century confirmation.
Scripture references
- Acts 27:7-13
- Titus 1:5
- Titus 1:12
On a modern map
Further reading
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