About…
Crete in the Bible

This is one of the largest islands in the Meditterranean, about 140 miles long and 35 broad.

It was a very prosperous and populous island, having a “hundred cities.”

The character of the people is described in Paul’s quotation from one of their own prophets (Epimenides) in his epistle to Titus: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12).

Jews from Crete were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11).

The island was visited by Paul on his voyage to Rome (Acts 27).

Here Paul subsequently left Titus (1:5) “to ordain elders.”

Some have supposed that Crete was the original home of the Caphtorim or Philistines.

More information

• Who is Paul?
• What is Paul’s Letter to Titus?
• Islands of the Bible
• Places of the Bible