Gog and Magog Crossing Borders: Biblical, Christian and Islamic Imaginings

In the realm of eschatology, the history of the apocalyptic peoples Gog and Magog is a world in itself. The Gog and Magog theme plays a role in the eschatological tradition of all three Abrahamic religions. This article revolves around the theme of “ crossing borders ” – geographical, religious, and temporal borders – and investigates the development and dissemination of this wide-ranging motif in medieval literary as well as religious traditions. It considers the key stages in the evolution of the written testi-monies of this motif and its pre-modern afterlife. A detailed analysis of four texts in particular will illustrate the intertwined character of the Gog and Magog motif within the tradition of Alexander the Great and Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions and eschatology. 1 pose the jizya [the taxes imposed upon non-Muslims], and the community of believers will be one. He will implement his command on earth until the lion will lay together with the cow, who will take him for a bull, and the wolf will be with the sheep, who will take him for the dog, the poisonousness of venomous beasts will vanish and a man can lay his hand on the head of a snake and it does not harm him, and a girl can put a lion to flight, as a boy who puts a small dog to flight. An Arabian horse will have the value of twenty dirham [presumably, very cheap?] and a bull will cost so and so. The earth will return to its shape at the time of Adam, and a bunch of grapes will feed a whole group of people and the same goes for the pomegranate.