Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

CRETE

(Gk. Krḗtē)

The largest of the Greek islands, ca. 274 km. (170 mi.) S of Athens. An advanced civilization, labeled Minoan by archaeologist Arthur Evans after the legendary King Minos, began to flourish on the island in the 3rd millennium b.c.e. and reached its zenith ca. 1500, as evident in extensive palatial complexes. The Minoans exerted influence on the mainland Mycenaeans and established colonies on many Greek islands and in Asia Minor. They developed an as yet undeciphered script (Linear A). By the 15th century Crete was reflecting the influence of the Mycenaeans, who began to preserve court records in an early Greek script (Linear B). The famous Minoan palace at Knossos was destroyed ca. 1380.

The demise of Minoan civilization apparently led to immigration, perhaps influencing in part the movement of the Mediterranean Sea Peoples into various places, including Palestine and Phoenicia. In the OT Crete is called Caphtor, the original home of the Philistines (Amos 9:7). From 1100 Dorians from the Greek mainland infiltrated Crete, leading to the rise of city-states. The 8th century saw the development of the orientalizing tendencies that eventually affected other parts of Greece. While Crete lay outside the mainstream of Greek activity during the Classical and Hellenistic periods, it contributed numerous mercenaries and had a reputation for fostering piracy. When Greece became part of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, Crete remained independent until 67 b.c.e.

In the NT Cretans were among the several Jewish groups in Jerusalem for the observance of Pentecost (Acts 2:11), and Paul describes a hazardous sea voyage along the southern coast of Crete, mentioning several Cretan sites (Acts 27). Paul’s letter to Titus insinuates that he left Titus in Crete to correct problems and appoint elders in the churches (Tit. 1:5). That Paul “left” Titus there suggests a trip to Crete by Paul that is otherwise unattested. The letter to Titus quotes one of the Cretans’ own prophets: “The Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons” (Tit. 1:12). While the actual source of this statement is uncertain, early Christian writers attributed it to the ancient poet Epimenides, one of the legendary seven wise men of ancient Greece.

Bibliography. P. Cameron, Crete (New York, 1988); M. Grant, The Rise of the Greeks (New York, 1987).

Scott Nash