Trogyllium (Hastings' Dictionary)
According to the AV of Ac 20'^ which follows cod. D, the ship in which St. Paul sailed, when on his way to Cajsarea and Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey, ' tarried at Trogyllium ' after touching at Samos, and before sailing on the following day to Miletus. The principal MSS (N, A, B, C) omit the words 'tamed at Trog^yllium.'
The addition in D was possibly founded on a tradition tha,t survived in the churches of Asia, and gives a detail which in itself is highly probable (cf. Ramsay, St. Paul the Trav. p. 294). The promontory of Trogyllium projects from the mainland of Asia Minor, and overlaps the eastern extremity of Samos so as to form a strait less than a mile wide between the two promontories. Through this strait St.
Paul sailed, and it is natural to suppose that the ship may have anchored for the night under the lee ot Trogvllium, either because the wind had dropped, or because there was no moon. A little to the E. of the end of the promontory, not more than a mile from Samos, there is an anchorage still called ' St. Paul's Port' (Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epp. of St. Paul, XX. n.) Ramsay has pointed out (Ch. in Rom. Empire, 155 n.) that the voyage of St.
Willibald is an apt illustration of that of St. Paul, and that his ' Strobolis on a high mountain ' is Trogyllium. C. W. Wilson.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Trogyllium
Trogyllium tro-jil'-i-um, tro-gil'-i-um (Trogullion): According to Ac 20:15 the King James Version, the American Revised Version margin, the ship in which Paul sailed to Caesatea on his return from his Ac 3:1-26rd missionary journey tarried at Trogyllium. Several of the early manuscripts omit the words, "tarried at Trogyllium" (Westcott and Hort omit as "Western" interpolation); yet, whether the words belonged to the text or not, Paul evidently passed the promontory, and probably stopped there. From the coast near Miletus the promontory projects into the sea toward the island of Samos; the strait separating the mainland from the island is scarcely a mile wide. It was in this strait which is now called Kutchuk Boghaz by the Turks that the battle of Mycale was fought in 479 BC. The promontory now bears the name of Santa Maria, and the place of anchorage is called Saint Paul's port. ⇒See a list of verses on TROGYLLIUM in the Bible. E. J. Banks ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Trogyllium
is the rocky extremity of the ridge of Mycale, exactly opposite Samos. (Acts 20:15) A little to the east of the extreme point there is an anchorage, which is still called St. Paul’s port. [Samos]
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Trogyllium
A small town at the foot of Mycale promontory, opposite the island Samos. The strait between is scarcely one mile across, and the current is rapid. Paul stayed a night here, probably in the ship, at the close of his third missionary journey on his way to Jerusalem. From Trogyllium he sailed to Miletus. Close by is a roadstead still called Paul's port. The darkness, owing to its being the time of dark moon, was the occasion of the ship's stay in this sheltered spot (Act 20:6; Act 20:15).
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia