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ship Summary and Overview

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ship in Smith's Bible Dictionary

No one writer in the whole range of Greek and Roman literature has supplied us with so much information concerning the merchant-ships of the ancients as St. Luke in the narrative of St. Paul's voyage to Rome. Acts 27,28. It is important to remember that he accomplished it in three ships: first, the Adramyttian vessel which took him from Caesarea to Myra, and which was probably a coasting-vessel of no great size, #Ac 27:1-6| secondly, the large Alexandrian corn-ship, in which he was wrecked on the coast of Malta #Ac 27:6-28| :1; and thirdly, another large Alexandrian corn-ship, in which he sailed from Malta by Syracuse and Rhegium to Puteoli. #Ac 28:11-13| 1. Size of ancient ships. --The narrative which we take as our chief guide affords a good standard for estimating this. The ship, in which St. Paul was wrecked had persons on board, #Ac 27:37| besides a cargo of wheat, ibid. #Ac 27:10,38| and all these passengers seem to have been taken on to Puteoli in another ship, ibid, #Ac 28:11| which had its own crew and its own cargo. Now, in modern transport-ships, prepared far carrying troops, it is a common estimate to allow a toll and a half per man. On the whole, if we say that an ancient merchant-ship might range from 500 to 1000 tons, we are clearly within the mark. 2. Steering apparatus. --Some commentators have fallen into strange perplexities from observing that in #Ac 27:40| ("the fastenings of the rudders") St. Luke uses the plural. Ancient ships were in truth not steered at all by rudders fastened or hinged to the stern, but by means of two paddle-rudders one on each quarter, acting in a rowlock or through a port-hole as the vessel might be small or large. 3. Build and ornaments of the hull. --It is probable that there was no very marked difference between the bow and the stern. The "hold," #Jon 1:5| would present no special peculiarities. That personification of ships which seems to be instinctive led the ancients to paint an eye on each side of the bow. Comp. #Ac 27:15| An ornament of the ship which took Paul from Malta to Pozzuoli is more explicitly referred to. The "sign" of that ship, #Ac 28:11| was Castor and Pollux; and the symbols of those heroes were doubtless painted or sculptured on each side of the bow. 4. Under-girders. --The imperfection of the build, and still more (see below, 6) the peculiarity of the rig, in ancient ships, resulted in a greater tendency than in our times to the starting of the pranks and consequently to leaking and foundering. Hence it was customary to take on board peculiar contrivances, suitable called helps," #Ac 27:17| as precautions against such dangers. These were simply cables or chains, which in case of necessity could be passed round the frame of the ship, at right angles to its length, and made tight. 5. Anchors. --Ancient anchors were similar in form to those which we use now. except that they were without flukes. The ship in which Paul was sailing had four anchors on board. The sailors on this occasion anchored by the stern. #Ac 27:29| 6. Masts, sails, ropes and yards. -The rig of an ancient ship was more simple and clumsy than that employed in modern times. Its great feature was one large mast, with one large square sail fastened to a yard of great length. Hence the strain upon the hull, and the danger of starting the planks, were greater than under the present system, which distributes the mechanical pressure more evenly over the whole ship. Not that there were never more masts than one, or more sails than one on the same mast, in an ancient merchantman; but these were repetitions, so to speak, of the same general unit of rig. Another feature of the ancient, as of the modern , feature of the ancient, as of ship is the flag at the top of the mast. Isai l.c., and #Isa 30:17| We must remember that the ancients had no compass, and very imperfect charts and instruments, if any at all. 7. Rate of sailing. --St. Paul's voyages furnish excellent data for approximately estimating this; and they are quite in harmony with what we learn from other sources. We must notice here, however--what commentators sometimes curiously forget-that winds are variable. That the voyage between Troas and Philippi, accomplished on one occasion, #Ac 16:11,12| in two days, occupied on another occasion, #Ac 20:6| five days. With a fair wind an ancient ship would sail fully seven knots an hour. 8. Sailing before the wind. --The rig which has been described is, like the rig of Chinese junks, peculiarly favorable to a quick run before the wind. #Ac 16:11; 27:16| It would, however, be a great mistake to suppose that ancient ships could not work to windward. The superior rig and build, however, of modern ships enable them to sail nearer to the wind than was the case in classical times. A modern ship, if the weather is not very boisterous, will sail within six points of the wind. To an ancient vessel, of which the hull was more clumsy and the yards could not be braced so tight, it would be safe to assign seven points as the limit. Boats on the Sea Of Galilee. --In the narrative of the call of the disciples to be "fishers of men," #Mt 4:18-22; Mr 1:16,20; Lu 5:1-11| there is no special information concerning the characteristics of these. With the large population round the Lake of Tiberias, there must have been a vast number of both fighting-boats and pleasure-boats, and boat-building must have been an active trade on its shores.

ship in Schaff's Bible Dictionary

SHIP . Dean Howson says that more about the ancients' merchant-ships is to be learned from Luke than from all the writers in classic literature. Some of these ships were very large, and probably the majority carried from 500 to 1000 tons. They were steered by two large paddles at the sides. Acts 27:40, carried usually but one mast with a huge sail, but were also propelled by oars, hence required rowers, were ornamented by images in the bow and stern and figures painted on the side of the bow, which made "the sign" - e.g., Castor and Pollux. Acts 28:11. They were furnished with under-girders, which passed round the frame at right angles to its length and "frapped" it when the planks were in danger of starting, anchors like ours, except that they had no flukes, sounding-lines; "could sail within seven points of the wind; seem to have had some mode of keeping the log; and it has been supposed that with a fair breeze they could make seven knots an hour." - Ayre. Nor need they hug the shore. The Hebrews were not sailors. We have no information in regard to the ships of their nautical neighbors. The reference to rudder-bands, Acts 27:40, is thus explained: the rudder-paddles already mentioned "were lashed up lest they should interfere with the ground-tackle. When they wished to steer again and the anchor-ropes were cut, they unfastened the lashings or bands of the paddles." Ancient ships were properly galleys.

ship in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Among the earliest shipbuilders were the Phoenicians, whose commerce and voyages made them foremost in the maritime science of early ages, and traces of whose ships are frequently met with. (On PAUL'S voyage, see EUROCLYDON; MELITA; CNIDUS; CRETE; FAIR HAVENS.) Paul was first in the Adramyttian coasting vessel from Caesarea to Myra; then in the large Alexandrian grain ship wrecked at Malta; then in another Alexandrian grain ship from Malta by Syracuse and Rhegium to Purcell. Luke shows accurate nautical knowledge, yet not professional, but of an observer, telling what was done but not the how or the why. Fourteen different verbs he uses of the progression of a ship, peculiar to himself and appropriate to each case: pleoo; Luke 8:23; Acts 21:3; apopleo; Acts 13:4; Acts 14:26; Acts 20:15; Acts 27:1; bradupleoo; Acts 27:7; diapleoo; Acts 27:5; ekpleoo; Acts 15:39; katapleoo; Luke 8:26; hupopleoo; Acts 27:4; Acts 27:7; parapleoo; Acts 20:16; euthudromeoo; Acts 16:11; Acts 21:1; hupotrechoo; Acts 27:16; paralegomai; Acts 27:8; Acts 27:13; feromai; Acts 27:15; diaferomai; Acts 27:27; diaperaoo; Acts 21:2. Paul's ship, besides cargo of wheat, carried 276 persons, so she would be of 600 tons. Lucian (Ploion e Euche) describes an Alexandrian wheat ship, 180 ft. long (including end projections) by 45 ft. broad, i.e. 1,300 tons. The largest on record was Ptolemy Philopator's war galley, 420 ft. long by 57 ft. broad, under 5,000 tons. "The governor" in James 3:4 is the "helmsman" (kuberneetees; the "owner" was naukleeros). There were two paddle rudders, one on each quarter, acting in a rowlock or through a porthole. As the helmsman used only one at a time, "the helm" is in the singular in James 3:4. In Acts 27:29; Acts 27:40, after letting go the four anchors at the stern, they lashed up both the rudder paddles lest they should interfere with the ground tackle. When they wished to steer again and the anchor ropes were cut (margin), they unfastened the lashings or bands of the paddles. The ship's run from Rhegium to Puteoli, 180 miles in two days, the wind being full from the S., illustrates the rate of sailing. The bow and the stern were much alike, except that on each side of the bow was painted "the sign" (paraseemon), as for instance "Castor and Pollux" (Acts 28:11). An eye was painted on each side of the bow; so Luke's phrase (antofthalmein), "bear up into," literally, "eye the wind" directly (Acts 27:15). The imperfect build of ships caused the need of "undergirders" to pass round the frame, at right angles to its length, when the planks were in danger of starting. The anchors resembled ours, but had no flukes. Spiritually they symbolize the Christian hope (Hebrews 6:19). The soul is the ship; the world the sea; the bliss beyond the distant coast; hope resting on faith the anchor which prevents the vessel being tossed to and fro; the consolation through God's promise and hope is the cable connecting the ship and anchor. The soul clings, as one in fear of shipwreck, to the anchor, and sees not where the cable runs, where it is fastened; she knows it is fastened behind the veil which hides the future glory; if only she hold on to the anchor, she shall in due time be drawn in where it is, into the holiest, by the Saviour. Anchoring by the stern, the ancients were prepared to anchor in the gale such as Paul encountered; and Purdy (Sailing Directions, 180) says that the holding ground at Malta where Paul was wrecked is quite good enough to have secured the anchors and ship in spite of the severe night. In Acts 27:40, for "mainsail" translated "foresail," which was needed to put the ship about and to run it aground. Vessels were propelled by oars as well as by sails (Ezekiel 27:29; Isaiah 33:21; Jonah 1:13). Of the 32 parts or points of the compass card a modern ship will sail within six points of the wind. The clumsier ancient ship probably could sail within seven points. In a heavy gale the ship would lie to, with the right side to the storm, the object being not progress but safety; as under the lee of Clauda (Acts 27:14-17). To anchor was impossible; to drift would have brought the ship to the fatal Syrtis off Africa. The wind was E.N.E. (Euraquilo); the direction of drift being W. by N., and the rate of drift one mile and a half an hour; the shipwreck must have been off Malta. Having no compass or charts, they seldom ventured voyaging in winter (Acts 27:9), and the absence of visible sun or stars seriously embarrassed them (Acts 27:20). In the intricate passages between islands and mainland they did not sail by night when the moon was dark (Acts 20:13-16; Acts 21:1). Thomson (Land and Book, 401-404) mentions seeing but one rickety boat on the sea of Galilee, which was once covered with fishermen's boats; contrast the fact that Josephus (B. J., 2:21, section 8-10) mentions his collecting here 280 boats, with four men in each.