Rudder bands

Rudder bands (Greek ta zeuktheria ton pederion) appear in Acts 27:40 in the account of Paul's shipwreck off Malta. Ancient Mediterranean ships used steering oars — large paddles mounted at the stern — rather than a single central rudder; in storms, these oars were lashed up out of the water to prevent damage. As the crew attempted to beach the ship at Malta, they "loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore." Freeing the rudder bands allowed the steering oars to drop back into the water so the helmsmen could guide the ship toward the beach. The technical detail reflects the accuracy of the Acts narrative as an eyewitness account of ancient seamanship.