Malta: AD (Part One)

St. Paul, or Paul the Apostle, (who wrote a sizable portion of the New Testament) had been arrested in Jerusalem... again. He was arrested quite a few times for not fitting into the standard religious box of those times; being quite vocal about Christianity, despite being a Jew. He had spent two years in prison before asking to be transferred to Rome, where he could more properly defend himself. The year was AD 60, and on the way to Rome, the vessel, full of prisoners, was shipwrecked on Malta. The islanders welcomed them. While making a bonfire to warm up, Paul was bitten by a snake and suffered no ill effects. To the locals he was henceforth no ordinary man. In 3 months time, Paul taught, healed, and introduced Christianity to the islands of Malta. He made quite an impact, and you can visit numerous sites in honor of his brief visit. Of course there is St. Pauls Bay, a church, and a cathedral which carry his name. Plus you can even visit the underground grotto where he taught.

St. Paul's Grotto

St. AgathaThen there is the story of St. Agatha, who fled to Malta from Sicily around AD 250 to escape the advances of a Sicilian Governor. She stayed a few years before returning to Italy where she was arrested, tortured by removing her breasts with shears, and then burnt at the stake! Gosh! In Malta you can also visit the subterranean catacombs where she hid.

Malta was considered a part of the Roman Empire, kind of like an outpost of Sicily, until AD 395 when there was a split in the empire. In the following years, the Maltese faired well with a main central town, villas, homes, and farms raising olives, wheat, honey and grapes. All seemed quiet until about AD 870 when the islands fell under the control of Arabian rulers from North Africa. The ensuing years created a strong influence upon the Maltese language, and some of their customs. Most of the towns have Arabic names, and if you look at this sample of the modern Maltese language you may notice a unique amalgam of Arabic and Latin: Kuljum-xemx titla biss biex daħka fuqkom. (Translation anyone?) This occupation ended about AD 1090 when the Arabs were driven out by the Normans, whom had extended their conquests to reach beyond nearby Sicily. For the next 400+ years they had a succession of rulers, closely linked to those in Sicily. Even so, during that time, the Maltese islands remained a minor pawn on the chessboard of European history.

Pope Benedict visits the Grotto, April 2010During our brief Maltese experience we were able to visit St. Paul's Grotto.  Very much like a picturesque cave dug from the limestone, it must have been lovely during its time. It still is magical to experience, but today the looming St. Paul's Church, and the town of Rabat have been built above it. We entered the right door of the church, and climbed down into a basement of sorts to view the cave which is freely visited by many.

St. Paul's Church

A short walk through town and you can also visit St. Agatha's Catacombs, but they were closed by the time we got there (so much to see... so little time). Before leaving the area entirely we did enjoy a cappuccino, which always comes with a nice little cookie, and a visit to St. Paul's Catacombs. They have no connection to St. Paul at all other than being in close proximity to the Grotto. These Catacombs are a subterranean wonder! They were created in the early Roman centuries to house the dead because it was considered unclean to bury the dead in the nearby city. After paying the fee, and passing through the turnstile, we climbed down the stairs into the stone of the Earth and entered an imposing central hall, with passages leading off from there into a bewildering maze of tomb galleries. We looked into every nook, and often scared each other as we suddenly appeared around yet another collection of crypts in the eerily lit underground graveyard. There was room for over 1000 bodies here, including small rectangular cutouts clearly intended for children.

Entrance Hall, St. Paul's Catacombs

Fast-forward to AD 1530 and we have the arrival of the Knights of St. John. Malta becomes a real "hot-spot" for the next few hundred years; which is entirely deserving of its very own post.