In my new documentary I close the episode with a reference to the shipwreck of Paul on the island of Melite. The central theme of the documentary focuses upon the life and ministry of Saint Titus on Crete and concludes with a reference to the epic journey of Paul who was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. It’s a passionate and dynamic narrative to say the least.

I refer to the island as Melite for a distinct reason, this is the greek word Luke uses in Acts 28: 1.

Most English Bibles translate Melite as “Malta“, however for textual and geographical reasons I do not believe the translations are correct here. Malta is way off the map for the actual island Luke was writing about and is not in the Adriatic sea as Luke clearly states it was in Acts 27: 27.

However many people believe Malta is the island where Paul was shipwrecked and I have visited St Paul’s Bay myself and the little church is one of my favourite places on earth. However, over recent years and after studying old maps I have come to conclude that Malta is not the location of Acts 28 and have narrowed down two or three possible locations where the shipwreck could have taken place.

In a recent article published by Eric Metaxas it is claimed that “Paul was shipwrecked on Kefalonia, not Malta” and evidences are given to support that claim. I am familiar with the opinions that are expressed in the article and locals on Kefalonia claim Paul was shipwrecked at Pessada. This is the location in the closing scene of my film and in the photo above. It should be noted there are archaeological remains present at that place which cannot be denied.

But is it true? Was Saint Paul shipwrecked on Kefalonia? It would be great if it is true, it’s a beautiful island with a wealth of Christian history. However, it should be pointed out that if it is true and Paul was not shipwrecked on Malta, serious concerns are raised regarding the accuracy of English Bibles.

But did it really happen this way? Was Paul really shipwrecked on Cephalonia, or someplace else?

This theme has been a long endeavour for me since I first visited Malta in 2005 and I hope to explore this topic in greater detail in the future. Having visited the location of Pessada, Kefalonia, the argument is extremely stimulating and I am continuing my research.