Why Malta?

Because my favorite class in college was the life and journeys of the Apostle Paul. Malta is easy to reach by using almost all European airlines. In the heart of the Mediterranean, it is a melting pot of civilizations with a history stretching back thousands of years.

The country has been inhabited since approximately 5200 B.C. The Phoenicians named the island "Malta," meaning "safe haven." It's position in almost the center of the Mediterranean made it a chosen spot for ships and sailors. Many people have conquered it -- the Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Turks, Egyptians, etc. At some point, Malta emerged and may have been a bridge of dry land to Africa. The island prospered under Roman rule. Many Roman artifacts still exist.

In 60 A.D., the Apostle Paul and Luke, who was traveling with him, were shipwrecked on a beach in Malta. Luke, who wrote the book of Acts and was Paul's amanuensis, was a prisoner also headed for Rome for judgment. During the storm, Paul told the passengers not to be afraid; all aboard the ship were saved. Paul said the people of Malta were kind to them, building a bonfire on the beach to welcome and warm them. Paul gathered some sticks for the fire, and a poisonous snake fastened itself on his hand. Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The beach snake was thought to be a miracle. The Malta sand was thought to have a healing effect. Paul also healed numerous people on the island.

However, Paul and Luke were still prisoners. Paul would be free during the day because he was a Roman citizen. Scripture tells us that after 90 days on the island, Paul had Christianized the entire island. Our guide said that was true today, except for a few Muslim and Jewish families.

A boat came by Malta every 30 days, so Luke and Paul went on to Rome. There is a cathedral there built in his honor and over the grotto where he was imprisoned.

The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem was the full name of the Knights of Malta. It was established in 1085 for a community of monks looking after the sick at the hospital of St. Johns in Jerusalem. They later became a military order, defending crusade territory in the holy land and safeguarding the route by medieval pilgrims. They came from noble families of Europe and acquired wealth from recruiting and privateering. They were supported with financial assistance from many different merchants in the Italian city of Amalfi. They came to Malta in 1530 and stayed 258 years. The order was ruled by a grand master, who was answerable only to the Pope. They were sworn to celibacy, poverty and obedience. Some lived up to these ideals; many were wealthy and tempted in various ways. The original Christian hospice may have been founded as early as 1020, according to EuroResortsHoliday-Malto.com.

When the Ottoman Empire declined in the Mediterranean, they gradually disbanded. In the late 18th century, the order became an international gentleman's club. Finally, the order went back to Malta. The island still has an annual observance of the Knights of Malta.

The Maltese cross is identified as a symbol of the Knights of Malta. The eight knights were all from the aristocracy of Europe, usually the second or third son of a nobleman of countries in Europe. The eight points are said to symbolize the eight points of courage, including loyalty, piety, generosity, bravery, glory and honor, contempt of death, helpfulness toward the poor and sick, and respect for the church.

The Maltese cross has become the symbol of many organizations, but it should not be accepted as being a symbol of the cross of Christ. Other crosses with spreading limbs are often mistakenly called "Maltese," including the Nestorian, St. Florian, St. Lazarus, Wallis and Futuna, Hamburg Atlantic Lines, German Atlantic Line, and Hanseatic Tours, Sweden and Australia. The Maltese cross flower is so named because its petals are similarly shaped, although its points are more rounded into heart-like shapes.

There may have been some association at one time between the Catholic Church and the Maltese Knights, organizations like the Masons, Shriners, etc. The Shriners Hospital in Greenville is an example of helping handicapped children. At the Cathedral on Broad Street during a mass when the Pope died, I saw several men with ornamental headgear on motorcycles who were in attendance. We will probably never know the true relationship.

There have been many sieges of the small island. In 1800, Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire. It was a stepping stone to the Suez Canal. Its island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British fleet. Being an English colony situated close to Sicily and the Axis shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air force. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian navy and had a submarine base. It was also used as a listening post, relaying German radio messages. There were many air raids on the island.

In 1941, England's King George VI awarded the George Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry) to the island forces -- to the people and defenders. This cross is displayed on the flag of Malta. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt called Malta "one bright flame in the darkness." Britain's Princess Elizabeth visited her husband, Prince Philip, who was on active duty there in the Royal Navy in 1951.

In 1964, Malta became an independent state, but remained in the commonwealth and recognized the queen as head of state. In 1974, Malta became a republic, and the last British forces left the island. Their government sought to improve ties with Western Europe and the U.S. Recently, Malta joined the European Union and adopted the euro as its currency.

The Malta Conference was held in 1945 between Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with the purpose to plan the final campaign against the Germans. Both leaders were concerned about the presence of the Red Army in central Europe. They discussed a solution for the millions of displaced people of the Holocaust.

The Malta Summit of 1989 brought together U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The choice of venue was a symbolic location at the geographic center of the Mediterranean Sea, where East meets West.

Today, Malta is an island of sandstone homes and buildings; all the trees are gone. But it still has its harbor and Mediterranean personality.

Our visit was all too short. This small island enriched our lives. Malta's history is an integral part of Western civilization.

Martha Langford Derrick is a native of Orangeburg. She and her husband, Fletcher, live in Charleston. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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