Anonymous, The Book of Divination (Fālnāma) for Shah Ṭahmāsp (Qazvin, Iran, ca. 1550-1560). Per 395.1, manuscript illustration, 595 mm x 450 mm, from the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland. Web (Europeana).
“Iskandar builds a wall against Gog and Magog”
Demons and humans working together to fight against the end of the world? That is the central idea in one of the narratives about Gog and Magog with Alexander the Great as a main protagonist, depicted here in a Persian manuscript. The famous conqueror is seated under a tent, making conversation with the Islamic prophets Khidr and Ilyas (Elijah), who have fiery halos around their heads.
Alexander was so feared that he was seen as the only hope to stop the destruction of the world. This portrayal emphasizes the Macedonian’s ambition to construct a monumental bronze wall to prevent the apocalyptic forces of Gog and Magog from entering the inhabited world; it also demonstrates Alexander’s established status among Islamic figures. The Caucasus wall is interpreted as separating the “civilized” from the “savages,” which can be interpreted as Gog and Magog here. Note the vibrant colors and the various depictions of demons, or divs, who are hard at work building the wall in this vibrant scene.
Svenja Beierlipp