This folio depicts seven Christian men, also known as the Seven Sleepers, along with their dog Qitmir, who escaped the Roman emperor Decius (r. A.D. 249–51) by miraculously sleeping in a cave for 309 years. The contrasts between the dark cave and the colorful rocks, the commotion outside, and the peaceful sleepers inside reinforce the narrative. The emperor is shown on a white horse, led by Satan, depicted here with dark skin and a white beard. The exceptional size of this manuscript may have been due to groups of people using the book to make predictions, or to Shah Tahmasp’s weakening eyesight.
