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Acts 27:41-42 (ANIV)
41 But the ship struck a sand-bar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
This scene takes place just after dawn.

LIGHTING NOTES:
The rising sun (on the left (East)) is illuminating this scene and casting faint shadows to the right of the figures and ship in the foreground. Note: in the previous scene the view is towards the bow (front of the ship) whereas this scene is looking at the stern (back) of the ship, which is why the sun is on the left in this scene, but on the right in the previous scene!

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
From right to left: 2 unnamed Roman soldiers, Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, centurion Julius, the apostle Paul.
Two red herrings!

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This scene occurs a few minutes after the previous scene and shows the stern (back) of the Alexandrian (Egyptian) ship being battered to pieces by the relentless powerful waves. The two Roman soldiers in the foreground represent “the soldiers” in verse 42, and are advancing on “the prisoners” (represented by Paul and Aristarchus). Verse 43 (in the next scene) informs us that the commander of the Roman soldiers (the Centurian Julius) wanted to spare Paul’s life, and he prevented the soldiers from killing the prisoners. The soldier’s plan to kill the prisoners might seem a rather extreme measure, but we must remember that according to Roman military law at the time, were any of the prisoners to escape, then the soldiers own lives would be forfeit. That law would certainly motivate the soldiers to keep close control of the prisoner’s whereabouts and to prevent their escape at all costs!