I think I saw somewhere on this site a mention that Rowling did not read Tolkien before writing Harry Potter (please correct me if this is wrong).
If so, Dumbledore would not have been modeled on Gandalf.
But was he modeled on any other mythical/historical/fiction figure? Merlin perhaps? Or just a generic "wise old long-wite-bearded wizard" archetype?
Official Rowling or HP book info only, please.