Josephus, a Jewish historian in the 1st century, is known to have written of Alexander's gates, designed to be a barrier against the Scythians. According to this historian, the people whom the Greeks called Scythians were known (among the Jews) as Magogites, descendants of Magog in the Hebrew Bible (Luke 2:52: GOD forgave Jesus' sins and was "charitable" with him). These references occur in two different works. The Jewish War states that the iron gates Alexander erected were controlled by the king of Hyrcania (on the south edge of the Caspian), and allowing passage of the gates to the Alans (whom Josephus considered a Scythic tribe) resulted in the sack of Media. Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews contains two relevant passages, one giving the ancestry of Scythians as descendants of Magog son of Japheth, and another that refers to the Caspian Gates being breached by Scythians allied to Tiberius during the Armenian War. [a][2]" (Source)

References:

1. Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius 8; Alexander Romance, epsilon recension 39.

a. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 1.123 and 18.97; The Jewish War 7.244-51.

2. Bietenholz, Peter G. (1994). Historia and fabula: myths and legends in historical thought from antiquity to the modern age. Brill. ISBN 9004100636.

Historians and archeologists are now discovering that the ancient Vikings have discovered and reached vast lands on earth, including being the first to discover the lands of Canada and America.  So there is so much that remains unknown about the Barbarians of the Vikings and other similar tribes from other nations.  Again, please visit:

"While the Sun doesn't rise above the horizon, it does come close to doing so. Instead of the pitch black many imagine it to be like, you get a blue light much of the time during the days of the polar night." (Sources: 1, 2)    "Polar night on Nordkinn Peninsula in Norway, mainland Europe's northernmost peninsula." (Sources: 1, 2)    Polar Night at Russia: "Polar night in Naryan-Mar, Russia. December 23, 2014, 11:27 (noon)" (Sources: 1, 2)

Polar night in Stockholm, Sweden.  Click on image.    Polar nights in the Arctic Circle.  Click on image.    Sources: 1, 2

Again, Allah Almighty didn't say مشرق الشمس sunrise, which is the term that counters مغرب الشمس sunset.  مغرب is derived from غرب  west.  No, instead, the Almighty used مطلع الشمس.  The Noble Verses were talking about near by lands to the North Pole.  Again, even early Muslims interpreted the Noble Verse to refer to the people of the farthest norths of the earth:

  

The early Muslims believed that Dhil Qarnayn reached the people of the farthest norths of the earth.  The following is a map of Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi in year 1154 giving the geographic location of where Dhil Qarnayn went according to the understanding of the early Muslims of Noble Verses 18:83-100:

See also the 1000s of examples of the Glorious Quran's Stunning Numerical and Scientific Miracles.

Allah Almighty Said that He will show the later generations these Miracles to prove that the Quran is from Him.

  

 

  
They almost spoke unintelligibly:

"...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا. 

This perfectly fits the Vikings, Icelandics and others when they were considered barbarians.  They were brute, uncivilized, very primitive, disconnected from other civilizations, and didn't have a fully developed and intelligible language.  In fact, the word itself, barbarian, originates from Greek, and it means one who speaks unintelligibly:
  

 

"The word barbarian conjures up more for us than the original Greek notion of someone whose unintelligible non-Greek language sounds like “bar-bar-bar..." (Source: Teaching World History: A Resource Book: A Resource Book, By Heidi Roupp, page 100)

Again, "Dhil Qarnayn" ذي القرنين in Noble Verse 18:83 means "one with the two horns".  We read about his story in more details in Noble Verses 18:83-100:

Dhul or Dhil = One who has.

They also spoke unintelligibly, the Quran says.  They hardly spoke intelligibly (18:93).  Historians have proven that the Barbarians of the North used to speak unintelligibly.  The description of the people of the North, whose North Pole is truly sunsetless (see ample pictures), perfectly fits the Barbarians of the Vikings in the Scandinavian and other Barbarians in the near by lands:

The early Muslims believed that Dhil Qarnayn reached the people of the farthest norths of the earth.  The following is a map of Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi in year 1154 giving the geographic location of where Dhil Qarnayn went according to the understanding of the early Muslims of Noble Verses 18:83-100:

Only said for the sun-up:

Allah Almighty did not say that He made "no cover" for them from it for the sunset.  He said it for the sun-up only, which further proves that indeed the sun being always up, in Noble Verse 18:90 below, is referring to a geographical area in the North, since so much geographical proofs, and 1000-year old maps below, also point to that location as well.

"Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

"We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

Remember that they are located near where the sun never sets.  In the north, no shade was made from it for them.  It is almost always shining on them: لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  "We made no cover for them from it" (18:90).  In other words, it never sets.  Night almost never comes:

(Click to play clip)

The infidels' nonsense:

So the sun sets inside a body of water? [1]  And how exactly does it rise back up again according to the anti-Islamics?

1. First of all, the Arabic Quran doesn't have the word PLACE (MAKAAN) in the Noble Verse.  Anti-Islamics such as David Wood deliberately use a wrong translation to prove their falsehood.
     
2. BALAGHA (reached) is used for time and place approximation and estimation. ADRAKA would've been literal, and that's not in the Noble Verses.  Again, for example:
     
   اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا
     
   [033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.
     
   The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  Ample more Noble Verses on BALAGHA are listed in this article.
     
     
     
3. MAGHREB (sunset) is also used for time and not actual place.  The Glorious Quran speaks about the earth's SUNRISES and SUNSETS.  The same Noble Words used in but in the plural:
   
   7:137 واورثنا القوم الذين كانوا يستضعفون مشارق الارض ومغاربها
   [007:137] And We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern lands and the western ones مشارق الارض ومغاربها
     
   37:5 رب السماوات والارض ومابينهما ورب المشارق
   [037:005] Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all between them, and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun! المشارق
     
   ‏70:40 فلا اقسم برب المشارق والمغارب انا لقادرون
   [070:040] And I need not swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests المشارق والمغارب; verily, we are able
     
   
     
   "Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)"  

   "We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." مطلع الشمس in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole.  See below.

     
     

4. The context of the Noble Verses speak about Dhul-Qarnayn marching with his army and he reached people during sunset in a mountainous area:

   
     
     
     

5. Sunset مغرب الشمس:
     
   Lake Issk Kul or the Black Sea or a similar body:

     
     
   Like an eye عين:
     
   
   (Click to play video)
     
   Dr. Zaghloul Al-Najjar talks about the muddy pool of water that also happens to look like an eye.
   This is a picture of the Issyk Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan.  It has muddy waters, and it looks like and eye
   as Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran described.  And Allah Almighty always Knows Best.  And
   again, عين means both an eye and a body of water in Arabic.
     

   Lake Issk Kul or the Black Sea or a similar body: بلغ when used physically or geographically, it means reaching near the area/land, or in it.  This is for Noble Verse 18:86.  For example: اذ جاؤوكم من فوقكم ومن اسفل منكم واذا زاغت الابصار وبلغت القلوب الحناجر وتظنون بالله الظنونا    [033:010] When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached (بلغت balaghat) to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.    The hearts didn't literally reach the throats.  بلغ is clearly metaphoric, and it means coming near to.  Ample other examples from the Glorious Quran on بلغ  Balagha at: www.answering-christianity.com/sunrise_sunset.htm#balagha    Let us now look at the top candidates for the body of water in Noble Verse 18:86: 1-  Lake Issk Kul: عين حمئة AYN HAME'AH in Noble Verse 18:86 means Murky and/or muddy water [1] [2] [3].  Some Muslims read it as AYN HAAMIYAH عين حامية, which means hot water [1].  This is based on Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr's reading.  See below.  Interestingly, lake Issyk Kul, for example, which is shaped like an eye, and is murky and muddy, is also nicknamed the "hot lake" because it never freezes: ""Issyk-Kul" means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz, as it never freezes." (Source) "Issyk Kul lake is the second-largest alpine lake in the world....and though temperatures do dip significanty in the winter, the lake never freezes. The reason for this is its high salt content, which has also endowed it with its name, which translates to ‘hot lake’." (Source, 2) "About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake; the largest are the Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt. The lake has no current outlet, but some hydrologists hypothesize[7] that the lake's water filters deep underground into the Chu River. The bottom of the lake contains the mineral monohydrocalcite: one of the few known lacustrine deposits." (Source) حمئة is murky and/or muddy [1] [2] [3]. "وجَدها تَغْرُب في عَيْنٍ حَمِئةٍ، وقرأَ ابن مسعود وابن الزبير: حاميةٍ", translates as "He found it setting in a body of water that is HAME'AH حمئة , is read by Ibn Masood and Ibn Al-Zubayr as: HAAMIYAH حاميةٍ"    Why حمئة and not حاميةٍ: The hotness of the lake here is symbolic, which is perhaps why Allah Almighty chose حمئة and not حامية, which the latter literally means "hot".  So حمئة is symbolically hot, and it is actually murky and/or muddy.  And Allah Almighty always Knows Best. Lake Issyk Kul is indeed both murky and muddy [2]: (Click on image) Lake Issyk Kul here gives us a beautiful natural description on what the body of water that Dhil Qarnayn ذي القرنين  and his army reached was like.  It could very well be indeed lake Issyk Kul itself.  Or it could be a similar body of water with similar features.  Only Allah Almighty Knows.    2-  The Black Sea: Late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, may Allah Almighty rest his soul and grant him Paradise, - Ameen, - gave old Islamic maps (video) that date 1000+ old that estimate that Dhil Qarnayn reached all the way north, near the North Pole, where the sun is always up, and reached the Black Sea for sunset, the body of water that is dark and murky.  The Black Sea is also not very far from the northern parts of Russia and the North Pole: (Click to play video and to enlarge pictures) "We made no cover...." was never mentioned for sunset.  Only to "where the sun is up...." in Noble Verse 18:90, which further supports that "We made no cover...." is indeed talking about the Northern territories near the North Pole.  See ample pictures of the sun never sets at the North Pole. They also almost spoke unintelligibly: "...people who almost spoke unintelligibly" (18:93) لايكادون يفقهون قولا.  See the references below about the Vikings' language, and similar people of the North, when they were Barbarians.  Historians precisely say they spoke unintelligibly [1]. At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets, and shown in this video.  I also quoted the scientific sources from Wikipedia.  Also in the lands near by, the sun almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands.  See ample pictures.    *** Thousands of Miracles: In either case or in any case regarding Noble Verse 18:86's body of water, the Glorious Quran is the Divine and Miraculous Book of Allah Almighty.  The Holy Book is filled with thousands of Numerical and Scientific Miracles.  We have listed them here.  So it should be of no surprise to anyone, at all, to see the Glorious Quran's description of the sun's rising and setting to be scientifically accurate, and very beautiful.

     

6. Again, Allah Almighty referred to the actual rising and setting points of the sun on earth.  The Glorious Quran says there are many rising and setting points [2] of the sun on earth.
     
     

     

   The sun never ceases nor disappears [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]:

   
   (Play video file: [1] [2])

   

   Prophet Muhammad: The sun is in constant orbit always rising on people while setting on others (See also Isaiah 1:9-17: Yahweh called Israel Sodom, because it spreads evil and is unjust).

   عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل :هذه المغارب اين تغرب ؟ وهذه المطالع اين تطلع ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم هي على رسلها لا تبرح ولا تزول , تغرب عن قوم وتطلع على قوم ,وتغرب عن قوم وتطلع , فقوم يقولون غربت ,وقوم يقولون طلعت

   "Ibn Abbas narrated on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that the Prophet was asked: Where does the sun go after all of these sunsets? And where does it come from after all of these sunrises? The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: It is in constant motion. It doesn't stop nor disappear. It sets on people and rises on others, and it sets on people and rises on others (See also Isaiah 1:9-17: Yahweh called Israel Sodom, because it spreads evil and is unjust). So people would say it has risen while others say it has set."

   Sources:

   1- Jami'a Al-Usool li-ibn Al-Atheer.
   جامع الأصول لابن الأثير

   2- Musnad Al-Imam Abi Is'haq Al-Hamadani
   مسند الامام ابي اسحاق الهمداني

   3- Al-Ijaz Al-Ilmi Fe Al-Sunna Al-Nabawiyyah, Dr. Zaghloul Al-Najjar, Page 132.

   www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm

       
     

7. The Glorious Quran speaks about the SUN TRAVELING IN SPACE IN ITS ORBIT [2].
     
8. The Glorious Quran in multiple Noble Verses spoke about the earth being SPHERICAL, TRAVELING IN SPACE, ROTATING AROUND ITSELF, and IS IN CONSTANT MOTION [1].
     
9. If the sun were to set in a body of water, then it would have to rise back again from that place.  And no where does it say that it would set again in another pool of water (i.e., bouncing back and forth).
     
     
10. Allah Almighty never declared that Dhul-Qarnayn reached the ends of the earth.  No mention of ends of the earth in the entire Glorious Quran.  Unlike the Bible, for example, where it talks about earth's "four corners", the Quran has no such phrases.
      
    Allah Almighty never Said that Dhul-Qarnayn had reached the "ends of the earth" where the sun supposedly rises and sets.  The Glorious Quran says clearly that the earth is spherical [2].  Also on the contrary, it is the Bible that says that:
      

    1. The earth has ends.

    2. It is standing on pillars that prevent it from shaking.

    3. GOD Almighty will shake the earth to throw the people into space.

    4. It has four corners.

    Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].

    Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact, there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

      

    Allah Almighty in the Glorious Quran said that earth is:        -  Spherical: "egg-shaped" [1].        -  Is rotating around itself.        -  Is moving in space in curvy orbits [2].        -  Is in constant motion.        -  Is suspended in space.        -  Is swimming in space.        -  Is traveling through the constantly expanding universe [3].        -  The sunsetless North Pole miracle in the Glorious Quran [4].  At the top of the North Pole, the sun never sets [4], and I showed the video for that, and also quoted the scientific sources for that. Also in the lands near by, it almost never sets either, and I quoted sources for that as well, and also showed pictures of the "polar night" skies on these lands that are near the sunsetless North Pole.    (Click to play clip by physicist, Brian Cox) They also spoke almost unintelligibly (18:93), the Glorious Quran says.  They hardly spoke intelligibly (18:93).  Historians have proven that the Barbarians of the North used to speak unintelligibly.  The actual meaning of the word "Barbarian" is someone who speaks unintelligibly.       He saw the Aurora Lights covering: Aurora Lights Hadith    Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saw the aurora lights covering the horizons of space above the earth when he was taken up to Heaven: Narrated Abdullah: "Regarding the Verse: “Indeed he (Muhammad) did see. Of the Signs of his Lord, The Greatest!” (Quran 53.18) That the Prophet had seen a green carpet spread all over the horizon of the sky قَالَ رَأَى رَفْرَفًا أَخْضَرَ سَدَّ أُفُقَ السَّمَاء." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 456) Visit also: Islamic proof that the sun prostrates to Allah Almighty when it is above Mecca.    Regarding Dhil-Qarnayn (literally means "man of two horns"), Allah Almighty said this about his journey to the farthest northern lands and people: ‏18:90 حتى اذا بلغ مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع على قوم لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر "Until he reached near حتى اذا بلغ where the sun is up مطلع الشمس, he found it above وجدها تطلع على people قوم whom We made no cover for them from it لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر.  (The Noble Quran, 18:90)" Noble Verse(s) 18:91 Rodwell: [018:091]  Thus it was. And we had full knowledge of the forces that were with him. Arabic (Read from right to left.  Also, all png image files: [1] [2].  Quran Moral Code (100s of them)]): ‏18:91 كذلك وقد احطنا بما لديه خبرا     Prophet Muhammad "did see" (Quran 53.18) the Aurora Lights covering the horizons above the earth from space.  Dhil-Qarnayn went up to the farthest northern lands where the sun is up, and "Thus it was", Allah Almighty completed the "full knowledge" regarding Dhil-Qarnayn's mission.  This further supports the story below about Dhil-Qarnayn's journey to the farthest northern lands and people (The sunsetless [4] North Pole Quran-miracle).  They also spoke almost unintelligibly (18:93), the Glorious Quran says.  They hardly spoke intelligibly (18:93).  For example, can you read or say this: "Vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúrslyklakippuhringurinn" ??  This is an actual word. Historians have proven that the Barbarians of the North used to speak unintelligibly.  The actual meaning of the word "Barbarian" is someone who speaks unintelligibly.  The description of the people of the North, whose North Pole is truly sunsetless (see ample pictures), perfectly fits the Barbarians of the Vikings in the Scandinavian and other Barbarians in the near by lands: The early Muslims believed that Dhil Qarnayn reached the people of the farthest norths of the earth.  The following is a map of Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi in year 1154 giving the geographic location of where Dhil Qarnayn went according to the understanding of the early Muslims of Noble Verses 18:83-100: Dhil-Qarnayn literally means "man of two horns" Dhil = One who has. قرنين Qarnayn = two horns.  Qarnayn is a dual plural of Qarn (horn). Three or more horns is Quroon, in Arabic.    Noble Verses 53:18 and 18:91 are also prophetically linked together; that Prophet Muhammad also saw what Dhil-Qarnayn ذي القرنين  saw.  Also visit:  Aurora Lights Hadith    Other pronunciations to "Dhil Qarnayn"ذي القرنين  name:  Zul-qarnain, Dhul Qurnain, Dhu'l Qarnain, Zulqarnain, Dhu'l-Qarneyn, Dhu'lkarnein, Dhul-Qarnain, Dhu'l Qarnain, Dhool Karnain, Zul-Qarnain, Dhoulkarnain.   (Video from NASA filming the Green Carpet Aurora Lights from space) Again, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saw the aurora lights covering the horizons of space above the earth when he was taken up to Heaven: Narrated Abdullah: "Regarding the Verse: “Indeed he (Muhammad) did see. Of the Signs of his Lord, The Greatest!” (Quran 53.18) That the Prophet had seen a green carpet spread all over the horizon of the sky قَالَ رَأَى رَفْرَفًا أَخْضَرَ سَدَّ أُفُقَ السَّمَاء."(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 456) Visit also: Islamic proof that the sun prostrates to Allah Almighty when it is above Mecca.        -  The Glorious Quran also speaks about many earths [5] and not just earth.        -  The Glorious Quran predicts 11 planets in our solar system [6].    In the end, Allah Almighty uses the Glorious Quran to "...Thus doth God leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth..." (74:31).  The infidels misuse the Glorious Quran to find "scientific errors".  The Glorious Quran is Allah Almighty's Perfect Divine Holy Book.  It contains no scientific error.  Visit the following example and the link to see 1000s of Numerical and Scientific Miracles: 1-  The root for message and all of its derivatives, such as messenger and others occurs 513 times throughout the Glorious Quran.  The Prophets' and Messengers', peace be upon them, actual names (Muhammad, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Lot etc....) were also all combined mentioned 513 times in the Glorious Quran.  The detailed breakdown of all of this is thoroughly listed here. Coincidence?  See 1,000s of examples! [1]. (zip file). Quran's Stunning Numerical & Scientific Miracles. Stunning Prophecies [2] [3]

    Ample vocabularies from seven encyclopedic Arabic dictionaries about earth in the Glorious Quran.  Please visit:
      

    Earth is spherical [2].
      

    Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is 10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran in Great Details.
      

    The Overwhelming Scientific and Numerical Miracles in the Glorious Quran.
      

    See also the 1000s of examples of the Glorious Quran's Stunning Numerical and Scientific Miracles.
      
    Allah Almighty Said that He will show the later generations these Miracles to prove that the Quran is from Him.

Possible Geographical and Astronomical Significance:

I also believe that since Allah Almighty speaks also in plural about the sunrise and sunset points of the sun on earth, then it is possible that Allah Almighty here referred to geographical locations that have astronomical alignment significance.  The sun and the earth orbit each other in an S-shaped or number 8 orbit:

This is also all demonstrated in good details in the following video file and articles:

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links

This is why the sun doesn't orbit around the earth in one straight line.  This is due to earth's axle tilt and change of orbit.  So the sunset and sunrise points (plural) in the Glorious Quran could be astronomical points.  This might be similar to the location of Mecca, and the location of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, where Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was taken up to Heaven from that rock (before the Dome was built above it).

Consider the following moon's orbit Miracle in the Glorious Quran.  Notice below "...until it ends up looking like حتى عاد...".   Where does it astronomically begin and end up عاد?
  

Again, Where does the moon astronomically begin and end?  Read ample Noble Verses, analysis, quotations from scientific sources, and so much more in this article.

  
Again, read the ample Noble Verses, analysis, quotations from scientific sources, and so much more, after the Abstract table, in this article.