Acts 28:11 NIV: After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island--it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.

Acts 28:11

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◄ Acts 28:11 ►

New International Version (© 2011)
After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island--it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.

King James Bible
And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

American Standard Version
And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was The Twin Brothers.

Young's Literal Translation
And after three months, we set sail in a ship (that had wintered in the isle) of Alexandria, with the sign Dioscuri,

Acts 28:11 Additional Translations
Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

After three months - Supposing that they had reached Malta about the end of October, as we have already seen, then it appears that they left it about the end of January, or the beginning of February; and, though in the depth of winter, not the worst time for sailing, even in those seas, the wind being then generally more steady; and, on the whole, the passage more safe.

Whose sign was Castor and Pollux - These were two fabulous semi-deities, reported to be the sons of Jupiter and Leda, who were afterwards translated to the heavens, and made the constellation called Gemini, or the Twins. This constellation was deemed propitious to mariners; and, as it was customary to have the images of their gods both on the head and stern of their ships, we may suppose that this Alexandrian ship had these on either her prow or stern, and that these gave name to the ship. We, who profess to be a Christian people, follow the same heathen custom: we have our ships called the Castor, the Jupiter, the Minerva, the Leda, (the mother of Castor and Pollux), with a multitude of other demon gods and goddesses; so that, were ancient Romans or Grecians to visit our navy, they would be led to suppose that, after the lapse of more than 2000 years, their old religion had continued unaltered!

Virgil speaks of a vessel called the Tiger. Aeneid, x. ver. 166: -

Massicus aerata princeps secat aequora Tigri.

"Massicus, chief, cuts the waves in the brazen-beaked Tiger."

Of another called the Chimera. Aen. v. ver. 118, 223: -

Ingentemque Gyas ingenti mole Chimaeram.

"Gyas the vast Chimera's bulk commands."

And of another called the Centaur. Aen. v. ver. 122, 155, 157: -

- Centauro invehitur magna.

"Sergestus, in the great Centaur, took the leading place."

Besides these names, they had their tutelary gods in the ship, from whom they expected succor; and sometimes they had their images on the stern; and when they got safely to the end of their voyage, they were accustomed to crown these images with garlands: thus Virgil, Geor. i. ver. 304: -

Puppibus et laeti naute imposuere Coronas.

"The joyous sailors place garlands on their sterns."

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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Cir. A.M.

4067

A.D.63
a ship.

Acts 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians...

Acts 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

whose.

Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you that are escaped of the nations...

Jonah 1:5,16 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea...