Gog and Magog

Lore & Background

In the Book of Ezekiel, Gog is a prince of the land of Magog, leading a confederation of nations including Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth Togarmah. The prophecy describes their destruction by God after threatening restored Israel, leading to a period of lasting peace. Jewish tradition later transformed Ezekiel's 'Gog from Magog' into 'Gog and Magog', viewing them as enemies to be defeated by the Messiah ben Joseph before the coming of the Messiah ben David.

In the New Testament's Book of Revelation, Gog and Magog appear as hostile nations allied with Satan against God at the end of the millennium. A legend arose by Roman times that Alexander the Great erected the Gates of Alexander to repel the tribe. Romanised Jewish historian Josephus identified them as descendants of Magog the Japhetite, hypothesizing them to be the Scythians. Early Christian writers turned them into apocalyptic hordes, and throughout the Middle Ages they were variously identified with Vikings, Huns, Khazars, Mongols, or the Ten Lost Tribes.

The Quran mentions them as Yajuj and Majuj, primitive and immoral tribes separated by a barrier built by Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Some Muslim historians and geographers contemporaneous with the Vikings regarded the Vikings as the emergence of Gog and Magog. The names also appear in medieval cosmological maps and Alexander Romances, where they are depicted as cannibalistic kings of the Unclean Nations.

Reader's Guide

Gog and Magog hold significance as archetypal enemies in Abrahamic eschatology, representing forces opposed to God and his people at the end of days. Their identity has shifted over centuries: from Ezekiel's specific geopolitical references to a generalized symbol of hostile nations. The conflation with Alexander's Gates and the Iron Wall spread across the Near East, influencing Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Their legacy includes medieval identifications with various nomadic groups and the Ten Lost Tribes, reflecting how contemporary threats were mapped onto biblical prophecy. The names also entered folklore, giving rise to the British giant Gogmagog and the Guildhall statues. The uncertainty surrounding their origins—whether Gog derives from Magog or vice versa, and whether they relate to historical figures like Gyges of Lydia—underscores their role as malleable symbols rather than fixed historical entities. Their enduring presence in scripture and legend continues to shape apocalyptic thought.

Did You Know?

• In Ezekiel 38, Gog is an individual and Magog is his land; by Revelation 20, tradition had merged them into 'Gog and Magog'.
• Romanised Jewish historian Josephus identified Gog and Magog as the Scythians, descended from Magog the Japhetite.
• The Quran refers to them as Yajuj and Majuj, primitive tribes barriered off by Dhu'l-Qarnayn.
• Medieval mappae mundi sometimes depicted Gog and Magog alongside Alexander's wall.