PHOENIX fē’ nĭks (φοῖνιξ). 1. A mythical bird believed to arise from the corpse of its parent. Some early Christians (Tertullian, De Resurr. xiii. 6; 1 Clement xxv) saw an analogy to the resurrection in this myth and used Psalm 92:12 in support (LXX 91:13) on the basis of Gr. φοῖνιξ “palm tree.” The phoenix and the palm tree became regular features of Christian art.

2. A harbor in Crete (KJV PHENICE) on the western end of its southern shore. According to Acts 27:12, it provided a safer shelter in winter than Fair Havens, the place where the Alexandrian grain ship carrying Paul had anchored. Rather than risk the safety of the ship and the lives of the 276 passengers (some texts read 76) the master of the ship decided to leave Fair Havens when the wind seemed favorable, and to proceed farther westward to the better harbor. The ship was caught in a sudden NE storm, which carried it past the island of Cauda (27:16) and westward toward Malta, where it was wrecked (v. 41).

The location of Phoenix has caused some debate. Strabo (Geography, x. 4. 3) places it on the S side of the narrower part of the island. Ptolemy the Egyp. geographer (3. 17. 3) lists places from W to E along the S coast of Crete. The information he gives suggests a site in the neighborhood of the small rocky peninsula of Cape Mouros, which projects about a m. from the coast. On the E side lies the village of Lutro with a deep harbor, and on the W is a larger and more open bay. Evidence seems to favor the western bay. Ptolemy in his list puts the harbor of Phoenix to the W of the town. This western harbor still retains the name of Phineka. The description of its aspect in Acts (27:12) “looking northeast and southeast” suggests “facing west.” The terms used here for “east” and “west” are strictly “southwest wind” (Gr. κίψ) and “northwest wind” (Gr. χωρος) and the phrase means “down the south west wind and down the northwest wind” (ASVmg.). Today, the W side of the peninsula is abandoned. Earthquakes in the 6th cent. a.d. raised the sea bed and the harbor today is on the E. The E harbor facing SE is unsafe from November to February because of the prevailing winter winds from the N and E. The W harbor, which was much deeper in Paul’s day, was a much more sheltered area and was the goal of the master of Paul’s ship (Acts 27:12). The prevailing E wind, however, caught the ship before it could reach Phoenix and drove it past its desired haven. It should be said that some commentators argue for the E harbor.

Bibliography F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (1954), 507, 508; R. M. Ogilvie, “Phoenix,” JTS, N. S. IX, 2 (1958), 308-314, argues for the W harbor; F. V. Filson, “Phoenix,” IDB III (1962), 805, argues for the E harbor.