Acts 28:11

Paul and his companions spent the winter on the island of Malta. Ships began to sail again toward the middle of February. The centurion was able to secure passage on another Alexandrian ship, perhaps another grain ship, that had wintered in one of the Maltese ports. Valetta was the largest of these ports. Paul still had about 210 miles to go before he reached Rome.

Luke’s reference to the figurehead of this ship, from which it took its name, is unusual. This is the only ship’s name that he recorded in Acts. The twin brothers were Castor and Pollux who were two gods thought to guard the safety of sailors. They were the sons of Zeus and Leda, queen of Sparta, whom Zeus transformed into gods, according to Greek mythology. The constellation Gemini represents them, and anyone who saw it during a storm supposedly would have good luck. [Note: Toussaint, "Acts," p. 429.] Perhaps Luke mentioned them to contrast God’s real protection, as illustrated in the previous chapter and this one, with the protection the pagans superstitiously thought these gods provided. I can imagine Paul saying to Luke as they got ready to board this ship, "We have a better Protector than the twin brothers!"