Alexander the Great Gog and Magog

land of gog magog , king mounted on horse, followed procession (lower half); alexander s gate, showing alexander, antichrist, , mechanical trumpeters (upper left).

the 1st-century jewish historian josephus identified gog , magog people scythians, horse-riding barbarians around don , sea of azov. josephus recounts tradition gog , magog locked alexander great behind iron gates in caspian mountains , identified caucasus mountains. legend must have been current in contemporary jewish circles period, coinciding beginning of christian era. several centuries later, material vastly elaborated in apocalypse of pseudo-methodius , alexander romance.

precursor texts in syriac

the pseudo-methodius, written in syriac, considered source of gog , magog tale incorporated western versions of alexander romance. earlier-dated syriac alexander legend contains different treatment of gog , magog material, passed lost arabic version, or ethiopic , later oriental versions of alexander romance.

in syriac alexander legend dating 629–630, gog (syriac: ܓܘܓ‎, gwg) , magog (syriac: ܡܓܘܓ‎ܵ, mgwg) appear kings of hunnish nations. written christian based in mesopotamia, legend considered first work connect gates idea gog , magog destined play role in apocalypse. legend claims alexander carved prophecies on face of gate, marking date when these huns, consisting of 24 nations, breach gate , subjugate greater part of world.

pseudo-methodius (7th century) first source in christian tradition new element: 2 mountains moving narrow corridor, sealed gate against gog , magog. idea in quran (609–632ce), , found way in western alexander romance.

alexander romances

this gog , magog legend not found in earlier versions of alexander romance of pseudo-callisthenes, oldest manuscript dates 3rd century, interpolation recensions around 8th century. in latest , longest greek version described unclean nations, include goth , magoth kings, , people engage in habit of eating worms, dogs, human cadaver , fetuses. allied belsyrians (bebrykes, of bythinia in modern-day north turkey), , sealed beyond breasts of north , pair of mountains fifty days march away towards north.

gog , magog appear in later old french versions of romance. in verse roman d alexandre, branch iii, of lambert le tort (c. 1170), gog , magog ( gos et margos , got et margot ) vassals porus, king of india, providing auxiliary force of 400,000 men. routed alexander, escaped through defile in mountains of tus (or turs), , sealed wall erected there, last until advent of antichrist. branch iv of poetic cycle tells task of guarding gog , magog, rule of syria , persia assigned antigonus, 1 of alexander s successors.

gog , magog consuming humans.

gog , magog appear in thomas de kent s roman de toute chevalerie (c. 1180), portrayed cave-dwellers consume human flesh. condensed account occurs in derivative work, middle english king alisaunder (vv. 5938–6287). in 13th-century french roman d alexandre en prose, alexander has encounter cannibals have taken on role of gog , magog. case of imperfect transmission, since prose alexander s source, latin work archpriest leo of naples known historia de preliis, mention gogh et macgogh , @ least in manuscripts.

the gog , magog not human flesh-eaters, illustrated men notably beaked nose in examples such henry of mainz map , important example of mappa mundi. gog , magog caricaturised figures hooked noses on miniature depicting attack of holy city, found in manuscript of apocalypse in anglo-norman.

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