Syrtis
Syrtis is a body of water mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of North Africa in modern-day Libya. Known today as Sidra. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Syrtis — specifically the Greater Syrtis, known in antiquity as Syrtis Major — appears in Acts 27:17 as one of the perils Paul's shipmates feared during the catastrophic storm that struck their grain vessel sailing from Crete toward Rome. When the violent northeastern wind called the Euroclydon struck the ship off Crete, the sailors' immediate fear was being driven onto the sandbars of the Syrtis — the treacherous shoals off the North African coast notorious throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for swallowing ships. To prevent this, they lowered the sea anchor and gave themselves up to the wind (Acts 27:17). The Syrtis thus forms part of the dramatic maritime setting for one of Luke's most vivid narrative passages, demonstrating both the mortal dangers Paul faced in his mission and the providential protection that ultimately brought him safely through the shipwreck on Malta. Ancient geographers including Strabo and Pliny described the Syrtis as among the most feared nautical hazards of the Mediterranean, with its combination of shallow waters, shifting sandbars, and unpredictable tides making navigation extremely hazardous. Its mention in Acts reflects accurate geographical knowledge of the ancient Mediterranean sailing world.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Greater Syrtis corresponds to the modern Gulf of Sidra (Khalij Surt) off the coast of Libya. The gulf's notoriety in antiquity stemmed from its extensive shallow shelves and shifting sandbars, which could ground and destroy vessels. Ancient literary sources — including Strabo's Geography, Pliny the Elder's Natural History, and Polybius — consistently describe the Syrtis as one of the most dangerous waters in the Mediterranean. No significant ancient city was located directly on its shores; the nearest major Roman cities were Leptis Magna to the east and Carthage further west. Modern maritime surveys have documented the shallow bathymetry confirming the ancient navigational dangers. Archaeological work in coastal Libya has revealed Roman harbors and settlement patterns around the gulf's periphery.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →