Christianity has almost 2000 years of history in Malta. According to legend, it was brought to the Islands by none other than the Apostle Paul himself in around A.D. 60.

Paul was being taken to Rome to be tried as a political rebel, but the ship carrying him and some 274 others was caught in a violent storm only to be wrecked two weeks later on the Maltese coast. All aboard swam safely to land.

The site of the wreck is traditionally known as St Paul's Island, and is marked by a statue commemorating the event.

The welcome given the survivors is described in the Acts of the Apostles (XXVIII) by St Luke, and when they escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire and received us everyone. The reference to 'barbarous' indicates that the people spoke neither Latin nor Greek. Ancient Maltese derived from Phoenician.

As the fire was lit, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake but he suffered no ill effects. The Islanders took this as a sign that he was a special man. This scene is depicted in many religious works of art on the Islands.

According to tradition, the Apostle took refuge in a cave, now known as St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat, Malta.

During his winter stay, he was invited to the house of Publius, the Romans' chief man on the Islands. It was here, according to tradition, that Paul cured Publius' father of a serious fever. Publius is then said to have converted to Christianity and was made the first Bishop of Malta. The Cathedral of Mdina is said to stand on the site of Publius' house.

Whatever the legend, archaeological evidence shows Malta was certainly one of the first Roman colonies to convert.

The Romans in Malta

Ancient Civilisations