Acts 27:12 names Phoenix as the hoped-for destination when Paul's ship faced dangerous weather. The harbor on Crete's south coast offered better winter shelter than Fair Havens. The name relates to φοῖνιξ (palm tree, Phoenician, the color purple-red), though which association gave the city its name is unclear. Luke's narrative uses the place to heighten tension: the ship attempted to reach Phoenix but never made it, driven instead toward shipwreck. Geography becomes plot as the centurion and pilot's decision to sail despite Paul's warning leads to disaster.