The Two Witnesses and the Beast from the Abyss

The illumination is divided into four quadrants by a red cross. In each section, a bearded male figure stands in profile, wearing an orange and yellow checkered tunic, with a green halo; these figures gesture with open hands. In the bottom-left quadrant, a reddish-brown, serpentine beast with small wings, pointed ears, and clawed feet emerges vertically from a dark void. Below the beast, two severed heads of similar figures are shown resting on the ground, their eyes open and mouths slightly parted. The background alternates between solid color blocks of pale mauve, gold leaf, and deep red, creating a flattened, symbolic space.

This folio belongs to the Bamberg Apocalypse, a seminal Ottonian manuscript produced around 1000 AD. It illustrates the eschatological narrative from the Book of Revelation (Chapter 11) regarding the two witnesses who testify against the beast, are killed, and are subsequently resurrected.