The prophet Muḥammad mistaken for a Roman emperor. The misinterpretation of a medieval illumination

Abstract

An engraving often used to illustrate the expulsion of Jewish people out of Jerusalem, decreed by the emperors Hadrian or Heraclius, actually represents the prophet Muḥammad preaching before a gathering of Arabs and Jews. This article identifies the manuscript from which the engraving was made, suggests the correct interpretation of the image and explains the origin of the confusion.