The island of Melitē, identified with modern Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Paul was shipwrecked here during his voyage to Rome as a prisoner (Acts 27-28). The island's inhabitants showed unusual kindness to Paul and the other survivors.
Malta holds a special place in biblical narrative as the location where Paul experienced both divine protection (surviving a viper bite) and healing ministry (healing Publius's father and others). The hospitality of the Maltese people illustrates that God's grace works through unexpected people and places, and that even apparent disasters (a shipwreck) serve God's purposes.