In last month's article, I began the story of my search for the other anchors from Paul's shipwreck, the ones which remained on the ship when it crashed on the reef as described in Acts 27. These anchors should have come to rest in a larger debris field, alongside an array of artifacts consistent with an a.d.60 shipwreck. It all seemed to make sense on paper, but confirming such a scenario would require more time, more investigation, and more interviews. Little did I know that within two days my answer would mysteriously appear.
My Secret Interview
A man was introduced to me who told me up-front that he didn't want his identity ever made known and demanded assurance that I would never reveal his name. After I agreed, he told the following story:
"Eight years ago I was diving on the Munxar Reef, spearfishing, when a fish darted underneath a rock. I looked under the rock, but I couldn't see the fish. I became frustrated. The fish swam underneath the small outcropping, but I couldn't see it. So I toppled over this rock, wanting only to satisfy my curiosity as to what had happened to the fish."
"I soon forgot about where it had gone, when I saw the straight edge of a large flat form covered in crustaceans. I unsheathed the knife from my leg, scraped the object, and saw the glint of metal. I had heard of other divers finding anchors, about their excitement at that moment, but it was the only anchor I had ever seen in the water. My heart nearly leapt out of my throat when I realized I had actually found a large ancient anchor...and I found another anchor nearby..."
* * *
Were these the other two anchors from Paul's wrecked ship? The answer will be in next month's article and in my book, The Lost Shipwreck of Paul.