Acts 27:14. The Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus manuscripts read Euraquilon, i.e. the E.N.E. wind, just the wind best suited to the facts. It came down from the island of Crete, S. of which Paul was sailing. It was "typhoon like" (tufonikos, KJV "tempestuous"), such gales in the Levant being often accompanied by terrific squalls from the mountains. The "S. wind" (Acts 27:13) too is the one that often changes suddenly to a violent N. wind. The long continuance of the gale ("the fourteenth night," Acts 27:27), the beclouding of sun and stars for days (Acts 27:20), and the heavy "rain" after the storm (Acts 28:2), are characteristic of this wind in the Mediterranean in the present day. The vessel being driven from the coast to Clauda isle (Acts 27:16), and the fear lest she should be driven S.W. to the African Syrtis (Acts 27:17), favor this reading.