List of people who have been considered deities
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:03:24 AM Wikipedia source
This is a list of notable people who were considered deities by themselves or others.
Tables
· Imperial cults and cults of personality
Pharaohs
Pharaohs
Who
Pharaohs
When
3150–30 BCE
Notability
Egyptian pharaohs were kings of Ancient Egypt, and were considered to have divine properties in by their culture. Their titles equated them with aspects of the likes of the hawk god Horus, the vulture goddess Nekhbet, and the cobra-goddess Wadjet. The Egyptians believed that when their Pharaoh died, he would continue to lead them in the next life, which is why his burial was grand and completed to perfection—to please him in the next life and ensure his immortality to protect his people. See List of pharaohs.
Naram-Sin of Akkad
Naram-Sin of Akkad
Who
Naram-Sin of Akkad
When
2255–2119 BCE
Notability
The first Mesopotamian emperor who claimed to be a god.[citation needed]
Japanese emperors
Japanese emperors
Who
Japanese emperors
When
??? – 1945
Notability
Claimed, at least by some Shintoists, including government officials, to be divine descendants of the goddess Amaterasu. The Shōwa Emperor, repudiated the "false conception" of his divinity in the Humanity Declaration in 1945.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great
Who
Alexander the Great
When
356 BC - 323 BC
Notability
To legitimize taking power (in Egypt) and be recognized as the descendant of the long line of pharaohs, Alexander made sacrifices to the gods at Memphis and went to consult the famous oracle of Amun-Ra at the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan desert, at which he was pronounced the son of the deity Amun. Henceforth, Alexander often referred to Zeus-Ammon as his true father, and after his death, currency depicted him adorned with horns, using the Horns of Ammon as a symbol of his divinity. The Greeks interpreted this message - one that the gods addressed to all pharaohs - as a prophecy.[citation needed]
Natchez rulers
Natchez rulers
Who
Natchez rulers
When
700–1730 CE
Notability
The Natchez were a theocracy ruled by "The Great Sun." This ruler has sometimes been deemed a God-king.
Purnawarman
Purnawarman
Who
Purnawarman
When
395–434 CE
Notability
The king of Sundanese Indianised kingdom called Tarumanagara. According to these inscriptions he embarked on hydraulic project and also identified himself with Vishnu, which indicates he and his kingdom were adhering to the Vishnuite faith.
Majapahit kings
Majapahit kings
Who
Majapahit kings
When
1293–1597
Notability
Javanese rulers of South East Asia's largest ever kingdom, in Indonesia. After death, they were depicted as Hindu gods (see for instance Raden Wijaya).[citation needed]
Dalai Lamas
Dalai Lamas
Who
Dalai Lamas
When
1391–present
Notability
Considered re-incarnations of Avalokiteśvara in Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lamas are incarnations of Amitābha.
Inca emperors
Inca emperors
Who
Inca emperors
When
1438–1533
Notability
The Inca Emperors had a status very similar to that of the Pharaohs of Egypt.[citation needed]
| Who | Image | When | Notability |
| Pharaohs | | 3150–30 BCE | Egyptian pharaohs were kings of Ancient Egypt, and were considered to have divine properties in by their culture. Their titles equated them with aspects of the likes of the hawk god Horus, the vulture goddess Nekhbet, and the cobra-goddess Wadjet. The Egyptians believed that when their Pharaoh died, he would continue to lead them in the next life, which is why his burial was grand and completed to perfection—to please him in the next life and ensure his immortality to protect his people. See List of pharaohs. |
| Naram-Sin of Akkad | | 2255–2119 BCE | The first Mesopotamian emperor who claimed to be a god.[citation needed] |
| Japanese emperors | | ??? – 1945 | Claimed, at least by some Shintoists, including government officials, to be divine descendants of the goddess Amaterasu. The Shōwa Emperor, repudiated the "false conception" of his divinity in the Humanity Declaration in 1945. |
| Chinese emperors | 221 BCE–1911 CE | Deified as "Sons of Heaven", at least by some Confucianists, since the Qin dynasty under Qin Shi Huang. | |
| Alexander the Great | | 356 BC - 323 BC | To legitimize taking power (in Egypt) and be recognized as the descendant of the long line of pharaohs, Alexander made sacrifices to the gods at Memphis and went to consult the famous oracle of Amun-Ra at the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan desert, at which he was pronounced the son of the deity Amun. Henceforth, Alexander often referred to Zeus-Ammon as his true father, and after his death, currency depicted him adorned with horns, using the Horns of Ammon as a symbol of his divinity. The Greeks interpreted this message - one that the gods addressed to all pharaohs - as a prophecy.[citation needed] |
| Natchez rulers | 700–1730 CE | The Natchez were a theocracy ruled by "The Great Sun." This ruler has sometimes been deemed a God-king. | |
| Purnawarman | | 395–434 CE | The king of Sundanese Indianised kingdom called Tarumanagara. According to these inscriptions he embarked on hydraulic project and also identified himself with Vishnu, which indicates he and his kingdom were adhering to the Vishnuite faith. |
| The Sailendras | | 7th–11th centuries CE | The Sailendra dynasty of Java were active promoters of Mahayana Buddhism and covered the plains of Central Java with Buddhist monuments, including the world-famous Borobudur. |
| Majapahit kings | | 1293–1597 | Javanese rulers of South East Asia's largest ever kingdom, in Indonesia. After death, they were depicted as Hindu gods (see for instance Raden Wijaya).[citation needed] |
| Dalai Lamas | | 1391–present | Considered re-incarnations of Avalokiteśvara in Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lamas are incarnations of Amitābha. |
| Inca emperors | | 1438–1533 | The Inca Emperors had a status very similar to that of the Pharaohs of Egypt.[citation needed] |
| Nepalese kings | | 1768–2008 | In Nepal, the kings of the Shah dynasty were considered incarnations of Vishnu. |
· Posthumous deification
Imhotep
Imhotep
Who
Imhotep
When
c.2625 BCE
Notability
Ancient Egyptian architect and physician whose status, two thousand years after his death, was raised to that of a god, becoming the god of medicine and healing. He was an Egyptian chancellor to the pharaoh Djoser, probable architect of the Djoser's step pyramid, and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. In Memphis and on the sacred Island of Philae existed temples dedicated to him. The Greeks identified Imhotep with their own divine healer and physician, Asclepios (who also healed people in their dreams).
Heqaib
Heqaib
Who
Heqaib
When
c.2250 BCE
Notability
A Nomarch of the first nome of Upper Egypt during the reign of Pepi II Neferkare, who led several successful military expeditions in Nubia.
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari
Who
Ahmose-Nefertari
When
c.1512 BCE
Notability
An Egyptian queen, daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep I, Great Royal Wife to Ahmose I, and possibly regent to her son Amenhotep I.
Amenhotep, son of Hapu
Amenhotep, son of Hapu
Who
Amenhotep, son of Hapu
When
c.1356 BCE
Notability
An Egyptian Architect, Priest, Herald, Scribe, and public official under the reign of Amenhotep III.
Queen Dido of Carthage
Queen Dido of Carthage
Who
Queen Dido of Carthage
When
814 BCE
Notability
Founder and first queen of Carthage, after her death, she was deified by her people with the name of Tanit and assimilated to the Great Goddess Astarte (Roman Juno). The cult of Tanit survived Carthage's destruction by the Romans; it was introduced to Rome itself by Emperor Septimius Severus, himself born in North Africa. It was extinguished completely with the Theodosian decrees of the late 4th century.[citation needed]
Homer
Homer
Who
Homer
When
8th century BCE
Notability
Venerated at Alexandria by Ptolemy IV Philopator.[citation needed]
Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus
Who
Romulus and Remus
When
771–717 BCE
Notability
Founders of Rome, sons of Mars, Romulus served as first king. Romulus was, according to the book History of Rome (written between 27 and 9 BCE by the historian Titus Livius), the son of Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin who became pregnant with the twins Romulus and Remus by the god Mars. After his death, Romulus was deified as the god Quirinus, the divine persona of the Roman people. Romulus' ascension to heaven and deification as god Quirinus is mentioned in Ovid’s poem Metamorphoses, Book 14 (written shortly before 8 AD). Ovid depicts god Jupiter promising Mars the right to translate his son Romulus to immortality. He is now regarded as a mythological figure, and his name a back-formation from the name Rome, which may ultimately derive from a word for "river". Some scholars, notably Andrea Carandini, believe in the historicity of Romulus, in part because of the 1988 discovery of the Murus Romuli on the north slope of the Palatine Hill in Rome.
Pythagoras of Samos
Pythagoras of Samos
Who
Pythagoras of Samos
When
c. 570–495 BCE
Notability
Pythagoras was the eponymous founder of the religion of Pythagoreanism. A posthumous legend claimed that Pythagoras was the mortal incarnation of the "Hyperborean Apollo" and that he proved his divinity to Abaris the Hyperborean by showing him his golden thigh.
Hephaestion
Hephaestion
Who
Hephaestion
When
356–324 BCE
Notability
Deified by Alexander the Great[citation needed]
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great
Who
Alexander the Great
When
356–323 BCE
Notability
Some believe he implied he was a demigod by actively using the title "Son of Ammon–Zeus". The title was bestowed upon him by Egyptian priests of the god Ammon at the Oracle of the god at the Siwah oasis in the Libyan Desert.
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Who
Julius Caesar
When
42 BCE
Notability
Deified by the Roman Senate two years after his assassination.
Antinous
Antinous
Who
Antinous
When
111–130 CE
Notability
Deified by Hadrian. He is the last non-Imperial human formally deified in Western civilization.[citation needed]
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Who
Mary, Mother of Jesus
When
300 CE
Notability
In 300 CE she was purportedly venerated as a Mother Goddess in the alleged Christian sect Collyridianism, which was found throughout Thrace. Collyridianism was made up mostly of women followers and female priests.
Ali
Ali
Who
Ali
When
599–661 CE
Notability
According to the Alawite faith, Ali ibn Abi Talib is one member of a trinity (Ali-Muhammad-Salman the Persian) corresponding roughly to the Christian Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is considered the second emanation of God by Yarsan and the supreme deity in Ali-Illahism.
Sugawara no Michizane
Sugawara no Michizane
Who
Sugawara no Michizane
When
845–903 CE
Notability
Japanese Imperial courtier banished from the capital and deified upon his death to appease his angry spirit. Worshipped as Tenjin, kami of scholarship.[citation needed]
Lin Moniang
Lin Moniang
Who
Lin Moniang
When
987 CE or later
Notability
Fujianese shamaness worshiped as a sea goddess throughout coastal China and the Chinese diaspora community under the name Mazu.[citation needed]
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Who
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
When
985–1021 CE
Notability
Sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, ruling from 996 to 1021. The members of the Druze faith believe that the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is the Mahdi. The Muslim scholar and early preacher Nashtakin ad-Darazi claimed that the Caliph was God incarnate. Because of that he was executed by Al-Hakim who did not proclaim that he was God. The Druze today reject Ad-Darazi's preaching completely.
Sundiata Keita
Sundiata Keita
Who
Sundiata Keita
When
1235–1255 CE
Notability
Founder of the Mali empire and great uncle of Mansa Musa. There are several shrines and temples dedicated to his worship that are frequented even in the current day.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Who
Tokugawa Ieyasu
When
1616
Notability
Deified posthumously with the name Tōshō Daigongen by his successors.[citation needed]
Xiongdi Gong
Xiongdi Gong
Who
Xiongdi Gong
When
1831–1861
Notability
108 men from Hainan who were returning home from Vietnam with money earned by them and fellow migrants for their families when they were killed by pirates.[citation needed]
Gauchito Gil
Gauchito Gil
Who
Gauchito Gil
When
1840s, allegedly 1847
Notability
Venerated as a folk saint and deity in Argentina.[citation needed]
George Washington
George Washington
Who
George Washington
When
1865–present
Notability
Worshipped as a kami in Hawaiian Shinto shrines. In the United States Capitol dome, he is also depicted ascending into Olympus and becoming a god, in the famous painting called The Apotheosis of Washington.
Kanichi Otsuka
Kanichi Otsuka
Who
Kanichi Otsuka
When
1891–present
Notability
Shinreikyo states of its founder "God became one with a human body, appeared among humanity, and founded Shinreikyo."
Maria Franciszka Kozłowska
Maria Franciszka Kozłowska
Who
Maria Franciszka Kozłowska
When
c. 1924 – present
Notability
At least some mariavites believe that God the Father became Mary, God the Son became Jesus and Holy Spirit became Maria Franciszka Kozłowska (1862–1921, an excommunicated Roman Catholic nun from Poland). It's difficult to tell whether she has deified herself or has been involuntary deified during her lifetime or posthumously deified. In 1967, Archbishop Maria Rafael Wojciechowski officially testified that in the 1936–1938 period, Archbishop Maria Michał Kowalski had written "Mother said to me that she was present at the creation of the world and that she arranged the world." (for "mother", he used the Polish word "mateczka" which is a diminutive and a title held by Maria Franciszka).
L. L. Zamenhof
L. L. Zamenhof
Who
L. L. Zamenhof
When
20th century–present
Notability
Considered a god by members of the Oomoto religion.[citation needed]
José Rizal
José Rizal
Who
José Rizal
When
20th century–present
Notability
Deified by some people in the Philippines due to his contributions to the Philippine Revolution.
Wallace Fard Muhammad
Wallace Fard Muhammad
Who
Wallace Fard Muhammad
When
20th century–present
Notability
Posthumously (?) deified by Elijah Muhammad. He is also given other titles by the Nation of Islam.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Who
Adolf Hitler
When
1958–present
Notability
Deified by some neo-nazis most notably among followers of Esoteric Nazism. The claim of Hitler's divinity was first made by Savitri Devi in her book The Lightning and the Sun. Devi believed Hitler was avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. Later it was promoted by Chilean neo-nazi Miguel Serrano.
John Coltrane
John Coltrane
Who
John Coltrane
When
1967–1981
Notability
After Coltrane's death, a congregation called the Yardbird Temple in San Francisco began worshiping him as God incarnate. The congregation became affiliated with the African Orthodox Church; this involved changing Coltrane's status from a god to a saint. The resultant St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, San Francisco, is the only African Orthodox church that incorporates Coltrane's music and his lyrics as prayers in its liturgy.
| Who | Image | When | Notability |
| Gilgamesh | | Sometime between 2800 and 2500 BCE | Most historians generally agree that Gilgamesh was a historical king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, who probably ruled sometime during the early part of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 2900–2350 BCE). It is certain that, during the later Early Dynastic Period, Gilgamesh was worshipped as a god at various locations across Sumer. In the twenty-first century BCE, Utu-hengal, the king of Uruk adopted Gilgamesh as his patron deity. The kings of the Third Dynasty of Ur were especially fond of Gilgamesh, calling him their "divine brother" and "friend". During this period, a large number of myths and legends developed surrounding him. Probably during the Middle Babylonian Period (c. 1600 BCE – c. 1155 BCE), a scribe named Sîn-lēqi-unninni composed the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem written in Akkadian narrating Gilgamesh's heroic exploits. The opening of the poem describes Gilgamesh as "one-third human, two-thirds divine". |
| Imhotep | | BCE | Ancient Egyptian architect and physician whose status, two thousand years after his death, was raised to that of a god, becoming the god of medicine and healing. He was an Egyptian chancellor to the pharaoh Djoser, probable architect of the Djoser's step pyramid, and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. In Memphis and on the sacred Island of Philae existed temples dedicated to him. The Greeks identified Imhotep with their own divine healer and physician, Asclepios (who also healed people in their dreams). |
| Heqaib | BCE | A Nomarch of the first nome of Upper Egypt during the reign of Pepi II Neferkare, who led several successful military expeditions in Nubia. | |
| Ahmose-Nefertari | | BCE | An Egyptian queen, daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep I, Great Royal Wife to Ahmose I, and possibly regent to her son Amenhotep I. |
| Amenhotep, son of Hapu | | BCE | An Egyptian Architect, Priest, Herald, Scribe, and public official under the reign of Amenhotep III. |
| Queen Dido of Carthage | | 814 BCE | Founder and first queen of Carthage, after her death, she was deified by her people with the name of Tanit and assimilated to the Great Goddess Astarte (Roman Juno). The cult of Tanit survived Carthage's destruction by the Romans; it was introduced to Rome itself by Emperor Septimius Severus, himself born in North Africa. It was extinguished completely with the Theodosian decrees of the late 4th century.[citation needed] |
| Homer | | 8th century BCE | Venerated at Alexandria by Ptolemy IV Philopator.[citation needed] |
| Romulus and Remus | | 771–717 BCE | Founders of Rome, sons of Mars, Romulus served as first king. Romulus was, according to the book History of Rome (written between 27 and 9 BCE by the historian Titus Livius), the son of Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin who became pregnant with the twins Romulus and Remus by the god Mars. After his death, Romulus was deified as the god Quirinus, the divine persona of the Roman people. Romulus' ascension to heaven and deification as god Quirinus is mentioned in Ovid’s poem Metamorphoses, Book 14 (written shortly before 8 AD). Ovid depicts god Jupiter promising Mars the right to translate his son Romulus to immortality. He is now regarded as a mythological figure, and his name a back-formation from the name Rome, which may ultimately derive from a word for "river". Some scholars, notably Andrea Carandini, believe in the historicity of Romulus, in part because of the 1988 discovery of the Murus Romuli on the north slope of the Palatine Hill in Rome. |
| Pythagoras of Samos | | c. 570–495 BCE | Pythagoras was the eponymous founder of the religion of Pythagoreanism. A posthumous legend claimed that Pythagoras was the mortal incarnation of the "Hyperborean Apollo" and that he proved his divinity to Abaris the Hyperborean by showing him his golden thigh. |
| Hephaestion | | 356–324 BCE | Deified by Alexander the Great[citation needed] |
| Alexander the Great | | 356–323 BCE | Some believe he implied he was a demigod by actively using the title "Son of Ammon–Zeus". The title was bestowed upon him by Egyptian priests of the god Ammon at the Oracle of the god at the Siwah oasis in the Libyan Desert. |
| Julius Caesar | | 42 BCE | Deified by the Roman Senate two years after his assassination. |
| Antinous | | 111–130 CE | Deified by Hadrian. He is the last non-Imperial human formally deified in Western civilization.[citation needed] |
| Mary, Mother of Jesus | | 300 CE | In 300 CE she was purportedly venerated as a Mother Goddess in the alleged Christian sect Collyridianism, which was found throughout Thrace. Collyridianism was made up mostly of women followers and female priests. |
| Guan Yu | | 581–618 CE | Guan Yu was deified as early as the Sui dynasty and is still popularly worshipped today among the Chinese people variedly as an indigenous Chinese deity, a dharmapala in Buddhism and a guardian deity in Taoism. He is also held in high esteem in Confucianism. In Hong Kong both police and gangsters consider him a divine object of reverence. In certain schools of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism he has been deemed divine or semi-divine status. |
| Ali | | 599–661 CE | According to the Alawite faith, Ali ibn Abi Talib is one member of a trinity (Ali-Muhammad-Salman the Persian) corresponding roughly to the Christian Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is considered the second emanation of God by Yarsan and the supreme deity in Ali-Illahism. |
| Tan Goan-kong | | 657–711 CE | Also known as Chen Yuanguang, he was a general and official in the Tang dynasty. He was deified and worshipped by the descendants of immigrants from Zhangzhou to Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, all refer to him as the "Sacred Duke, Founder of Zhangzhou" (開漳聖王; Kāi Zhāng shèngwáng; Khai Chiang Sèng-ông). |
| Sugawara no Michizane | | 845–903 CE | Japanese Imperial courtier banished from the capital and deified upon his death to appease his angry spirit. Worshipped as Tenjin, kami of scholarship.[citation needed] |
| Lin Moniang | 987 CE or later | Fujianese shamaness worshiped as a sea goddess throughout coastal China and the Chinese diaspora community under the name Mazu.[citation needed] | |
| Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah | | 985–1021 CE | Sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, ruling from 996 to 1021. The members of the Druze faith believe that the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is the Mahdi. The Muslim scholar and early preacher Nashtakin ad-Darazi claimed that the Caliph was God incarnate. Because of that he was executed by Al-Hakim who did not proclaim that he was God. The Druze today reject Ad-Darazi's preaching completely. |
| Sundiata Keita | 1235–1255 CE | Founder of the Mali empire and great uncle of Mansa Musa. There are several shrines and temples dedicated to his worship that are frequented even in the current day. | |
| Tokugawa Ieyasu | | 1616 | Deified posthumously with the name Tōshō Daigongen by his successors.[citation needed] |
| Hu Tianbao | 17th century | According to What the Master Would Not Discuss (Chinese: 子不語), written by Yuan Mei (Chinese: 袁枚) during the Qing dynasty, Tu'er Shen was a man named Hu Tianbao (胡天保) who fell in love with a very handsome imperial inspector of Fujian Province. One day he was caught peeping on the inspector through a bathroom wall, at which point he confessed his reluctant affections for the other man. The imperial inspector had Hu Tianbao sentenced to death by beating. One month after Hu Tianbao's death, he appeared to a man from his hometown in a dream, claiming that since his crime was one of love, the underworld officials decided to right the injustice by appointing him the god and guardian of homosexual affections. | |
| Xiongdi Gong | 1831–1861 | 108 men from Hainan who were returning home from Vietnam with money earned by them and fellow migrants for their families when they were killed by pirates.[citation needed] | |
| Gauchito Gil | | 1840s, allegedly 1847 | Venerated as a folk saint and deity in Argentina.[citation needed] |
| George Washington | | 1865–present | Worshipped as a kami in Hawaiian Shinto shrines. In the United States Capitol dome, he is also depicted ascending into Olympus and becoming a god, in the famous painting called The Apotheosis of Washington. |
| Kanichi Otsuka | 1891–present | Shinreikyo states of its founder "God became one with a human body, appeared among humanity, and founded Shinreikyo." | |
| Maria Franciszka Kozłowska | c. 1924 – present | At least some mariavites believe that God the Father became Mary, God the Son became Jesus and Holy Spirit became Maria Franciszka Kozłowska (1862–1921, an excommunicated Roman Catholic nun from Poland). It's difficult to tell whether she has deified herself or has been involuntary deified during her lifetime or posthumously deified. In 1967, Archbishop Maria Rafael Wojciechowski officially testified that in the 1936–1938 period, Archbishop Maria Michał Kowalski had written "Mother said to me that she was present at the creation of the world and that she arranged the world." (for "mother", he used the Polish word "mateczka" which is a diminutive and a title held by Maria Franciszka). | |
| L. L. Zamenhof | | 20th century–present | Considered a god by members of the Oomoto religion.[citation needed] |
| José Rizal | | 20th century–present | Deified by some people in the Philippines due to his contributions to the Philippine Revolution. |
| Wallace Fard Muhammad | | 20th century–present | Posthumously (?) deified by Elijah Muhammad. He is also given other titles by the Nation of Islam. |
| Adolf Hitler | | 1958–present | Deified by some neo-nazis most notably among followers of Esoteric Nazism. The claim of Hitler's divinity was first made by Savitri Devi in her book The Lightning and the Sun. Devi believed Hitler was avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. Later it was promoted by Chilean neo-nazi Miguel Serrano. |
| John Coltrane | | 1967–1981 | After Coltrane's death, a congregation called the Yardbird Temple in San Francisco began worshiping him as God incarnate. The congregation became affiliated with the African Orthodox Church; this involved changing Coltrane's status from a god to a saint. The resultant St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, San Francisco, is the only African Orthodox church that incorporates Coltrane's music and his lyrics as prayers in its liturgy. |
· Involuntary deification
Uzair
Uzair
Who
Uzair
When
?
Notability
The Quran said that a group of Jews, often interpreted as the Yemenite Jews, believed "Uzair" was the son of God.[Quran 9:30] It is argued by some that Uzair was Ezra. Ezra established Second Temple Judaism and is regarded as a very important figure in Judaism.
Hayk
Hayk
Who
Hayk
When
2492 BCE
Notability
Legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation Revolted against King Bel of Babylon
Antiochus II Theos
Antiochus II Theos
Who
Antiochus II Theos
When
286–246 BCE
Notability
Seleucid ruler. The younger son of Antiochus I and Stratonice, succeeded his father in 261. He liberated Ephesus, Ionia, Cilicia and Pamphylia from Egyptian domination, and in return for their autonomy the cities of Asia Minor gave him the title Theos ("God").
Paul the Apostle and Barnabas
Paul the Apostle and Barnabas
Who
Paul the Apostle and Barnabas
When
Autumn 49 CE
Notability
According to a story recorded in the Book of Acts 14:8–18, the apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas healed a crippled man in the street in the town of Lystra in Asia Minor, during Paul's second missionary journey. The townsfolk immediately mistook them for the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus respectively and attempted to offer sacrifices to them.
Master Qing Shui
Master Qing Shui
Who
Master Qing Shui
When
1047–1101
Notability
Chan Buddhist monk during the Northern Song in Anxi County, Quanzhou. He is said to have saved the town of Anxi during a period of drought, bringing rain as he went from place to place. In reverence, the villagers built temples dedicated to him and hence became a Deity in Chinese folk religion.
Zheng He
Zheng He
Who
Zheng He
When
1371–1433
Notability
Worshipped by some Chinese and South East Asians.
Kumari
Kumari
Who
Kumari
When
~17th century–present
Notability
These are little girls who are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists as the incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Durga (Nepali Taleju) in Nepal. They are picked when they are prepubescent and are worshipped until they reach puberty. Their cult is in South Asian countries, especially in Nepal.[citation needed]
John Nicholson
John Nicholson
Who
John Nicholson
When
19th century–present
Notability
Inspired the cult of Nikal Seyn.[citation needed]
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Who
Jiddu Krishnamurti
When
1909–present
Notability
Renounced the status of messiah and Maitreya incarnation given him by the Theosophical Society.[citation needed]
Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I
Who
Haile Selassie I
When
1930s–present
Notability
Among most followers of the Rastafari movement, Haile Selassie is seen as the second coming of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the Black Messiah and "Earth's Rightful Ruler" who will also lead African peoples to freedom. Rastas say that his imperial titles (i.e. King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Root of David) were prophesied as belonging to the returned Messiah in Revelation 5:5. Their faith in his divinity first appeared in Jamaica, soon after his 1930 coronation in Addis Ababa. Before his coronation he was called Ras (meaning Prince) Tafari.
Mary Baker Eddy
Mary Baker Eddy
Who
Mary Baker Eddy
When
1947–present
Notability
Founder of Christian Science, Eddy was first deified with the private publication of The Destiny of The Mother Church by Bliss Knapp. Although the book is distributed in Christian Science reading rooms, it is not considered authorised literature, and Eddy herself denied any comparison to Jesus and allegations of her being the Second Christ.[citation needed]
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Who
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
When
1950s~1960s–present
Notability
Considered a god in the village of Yaohnanen, a cargo cult in Vanuatu. See Prince Philip movement.
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
Who
Douglas MacArthur
When
later 20th century
Notability
Honored for his role in the Battle of Inchon, a few followers of Korean shamanism venerated him as a deity around his statue at Jayu Park.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Who
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
When
1990s–present
Notability
While considered the messiah by most of his followers following his death in 1994, one group has deified him.
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Who
Chiang Kai-shek
When
1975–present
Notability
Worship in Japan: On the day Japan surrendered and the Second World War ended, Chiang Kai-shek, the supreme leader of the Republic of China, issued a "Victory Message to the Nation's Military, Civilians and People Around the World", stating that "our Chinese compatriots must know 'not to remember the evil of the past' and 'to be kind to others.'" for our nation The traditional supreme and noble virtue", that is, "repaying evil with kindness", allowed more than 2 million Japanese soldiers and civilians to return to Japan safely, prevented the great powers from carving up Japan like they cared for Germany, retained the emperor system, gave up the right to claim war compensation, and dealt with Japan leniently. These policies made a huge substantial contribution to Japan's postwar recovery. On April 5, 1975, Chiang Kai-shek died. The Japanese were grateful for Chiang Kai-shek's lenient treatment of Japan and the concept of world peace of repaying evil with kindness. In the 1970s and 1980s, they built Chiang Kai-shek Shrine (中正神社) in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and later moved it to Koda Town, Nukada-gun, Aichi Prefecture.
Worship in Taiwan: After the Nationalist Government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, it still occupied many coastal islands. However, after 1953, the Communist army continued to invade and Yijiangshan Island was captured. The United Nations and the US military intervened, and the CCP suspended bombing. Tachen Island and surrounding islands were completely abandoned. In 1955, with the assistance of the US Seventh Fleet, about 16,000 island residents retreated to Taiwan. This operation was called "King Kong Plan." When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, the Tachen people set up a mourning hall on the coast of Cijin. Later, they raised funds to build a temple and enshrine the Guanyin Bodhisattva, which was originally the main enshrinement. It was rebuilt in 1983 and renovated in 2007. This temple is called Chiang Kai-shek Thanksgiving Hall (蔣公感恩堂).
Raj Patel
Raj Patel
Who
Raj Patel
When
2010–present
Notability
In January 2010 some adherents of Share International, following an announcement by Benjamin Creme, concluded that Patel could be the Maitreya. Patel has denied being the Maitreya.
| Who | Image | When | Notability |
| Uzair | ? | The Quran said that a group of Jews, often interpreted as the Yemenite Jews, believed "Uzair" was the son of God.[Quran 9:30] It is argued by some that Uzair was Ezra. Ezra established Second Temple Judaism and is regarded as a very important figure in Judaism. | |
| Hayk | | 2492 BCE | Legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation Revolted against King Bel of Babylon |
| Antiochus II Theos | | 286–246 BCE | Seleucid ruler. The younger son of Antiochus I and Stratonice, succeeded his father in 261. He liberated Ephesus, Ionia, Cilicia and Pamphylia from Egyptian domination, and in return for their autonomy the cities of Asia Minor gave him the title Theos ("God"). |
| Paul the Apostle and Barnabas | | Autumn 49 CE | According to a story recorded in the Book of Acts 14:8–18, the apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas healed a crippled man in the street in the town of Lystra in Asia Minor, during Paul's second missionary journey. The townsfolk immediately mistook them for the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus respectively and attempted to offer sacrifices to them. |
| Master Qing Shui | | 1047–1101 | Chan Buddhist monk during the Northern Song in Anxi County, Quanzhou. He is said to have saved the town of Anxi during a period of drought, bringing rain as he went from place to place. In reverence, the villagers built temples dedicated to him and hence became a Deity in Chinese folk religion. |
| Zheng He | | 1371–1433 | Worshipped by some Chinese and South East Asians. |
| Kumari | | ~17th century–present | These are little girls who are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists as the incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Durga (Nepali Taleju) in Nepal. They are picked when they are prepubescent and are worshipped until they reach puberty. Their cult is in South Asian countries, especially in Nepal.[citation needed] |
| John Nicholson | Brigadier-General John Nicholson | 19th century–present | Inspired the cult of Nikal Seyn.[citation needed] |
| Jiddu Krishnamurti | | 1909–present | Renounced the status of messiah and Maitreya incarnation given him by the Theosophical Society.[citation needed] |
| Haile Selassie I | | 1930s–present | Among most followers of the Rastafari movement, Haile Selassie is seen as the second coming of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the Black Messiah and "Earth's Rightful Ruler" who will also lead African peoples to freedom. Rastas say that his imperial titles (i.e. King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Root of David) were prophesied as belonging to the returned Messiah in Revelation 5:5. Their faith in his divinity first appeared in Jamaica, soon after his 1930 coronation in Addis Ababa. Before his coronation he was called Ras (meaning Prince) Tafari. |
| Mary Baker Eddy | | 1947–present | Founder of Christian Science, Eddy was first deified with the private publication of The Destiny of The Mother Church by Bliss Knapp. Although the book is distributed in Christian Science reading rooms, it is not considered authorised literature, and Eddy herself denied any comparison to Jesus and allegations of her being the Second Christ.[citation needed] |
| Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | | 1950s~1960s–present | Considered a god in the village of Yaohnanen, a cargo cult in Vanuatu. See Prince Philip movement. |
| Douglas MacArthur | later 20th century | Honored for his role in the Battle of Inchon, a few followers of Korean shamanism venerated him as a deity around his statue at Jayu Park. | |
| Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson | | 1990s–present | While considered the messiah by most of his followers following his death in 1994, one group has deified him. |
| Chiang Kai-shek | | 1975–present | Worship in Japan: On the day Japan surrendered and the Second World War ended, Chiang Kai-shek, the supreme leader of the Republic of China, issued a "Victory Message to the Nation's Military, Civilians and People Around the World", stating that "our Chinese compatriots must know 'not to remember the evil of the past' and 'to be kind to others. for our nation The traditional supreme and noble virtue", that is, "repaying evil with kindness", allowed more than 2 million Japanese soldiers and civilians to return to Japan safely, prevented the great powers from carving up Japan like they cared for Germany, retained the emperor system, gave up the right to claim war compensation, and dealt with Japan leniently. These policies made a huge substantial contribution to Japan's postwar recovery. On April 5, 1975, Chiang Kai-shek died. The Japanese were grateful for Chiang Kai-shek's lenient treatment of Japan and the concept of world peace of repaying evil with kindness. In the 1970s and 1980s, they built Chiang Kai-shek Shrine (中正神社) in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and later moved it to Koda Town, Nukada-gun, Aichi Prefecture. Worship in Taiwan: After the Nationalist Government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, it still occupied many coastal islands. However, after 1953, the Communist army continued to invade and Yijiangshan Island was captured. The United Nations and the US military intervened, and the CCP suspended bombing. Tachen Island and surrounding islands were completely abandoned. In 1955, with the assistance of the US Seventh Fleet, about 16,000 island residents retreated to Taiwan. This operation was called "King Kong Plan." When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, the Tachen people set up a mourning hall on the coast of Cijin. Later, they raised funds to build a temple and enshrine the Guanyin Bodhisattva, which was originally the main enshrinement. It was rebuilt in 1983 and renovated in 2007. This temple is called Chiang Kai-shek Thanksgiving Hall (蔣公感恩堂). |
| Raj Patel | | 2010–present | In January 2010 some adherents of Share International, following an announcement by Benjamin Creme, concluded that Patel could be the Maitreya. Patel has denied being the Maitreya. |
· Self-deification
Shulgi
Shulgi
Who
Shulgi
When
2037–2028 BCE
Notability
Brought back self-deification during the Ur III Period.
Amar-Sin
Amar-Sin
Who
Amar-Sin
When
2046–2037 BCE
Notability
Succeeded Shulgi
Shu-Sin
Shu-Sin
Who
Shu-Sin
When
2037–2028 BCE
Notability
Built Temples for himself.
Empedocles of Acragas
Empedocles of Acragas
Who
Empedocles of Acragas
When
c. 490 – c. 430 BCE
Notability
Empedocles of Acragas was a Pre-Socratic philosopher from the island of Sicily, who, in one of his surviving poems, declares himself to have become a "divine being... no longer mortal", followed by descriptions of him performing activities normally reserved for the gods. The later historian Diogenes Laërtius claimed that Empedocles committed suicide by jumping into Mount Etna in order to persuade people that he was an immortal god, a legend which is also alluded to by the Roman poet Horace.
Pharnavaz I of Iberia
Pharnavaz I of Iberia
Who
Pharnavaz I of Iberia
When
326–234 BCE
Notability
Iberian king (r. 299–234 BCE)
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Who
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
When
215–164 BCE
Notability
Seleucid ruler (r. 175–164); the only Seleucid king to claim divine honors, calling himself Theos Epiphaneus "God Manifest" and Nikephoros "Bringer of Victory." Nearly conquered Ptolemaic Egypt, the primary rival of the Seleucids among the Diadochi states. Famously attempted to impose ancient Greek religion on the Jews by persecution, leading to the Maccabean Revolt; remembered as a major persecutor in Jewish tradition.
Antiochus I
Antiochus I
Who
Antiochus I
When
c. 86 BCE–38 BCE
Notability
King of Commagene who instituted a cult for himself and several syncretistic Graeco-Persian deities at Mount Nemrud and elsewhere.
Simon Magus
Simon Magus
Who
Simon Magus
When
1st–4th century
Notability
Considered a god in Simonianism. According to Irenaeus, he "was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word, as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever title men were pleased to address him."
Veleda
Veleda
Who
Veleda
When
1st century
Notability
Germanic prophetess considered a deity during her lifetime.[citation needed]
Ismail I
Ismail I
Who
Ismail I
When
16th century
Notability
Self-claimed to be an emanation of God and was considered such by the Kızılbaş-Safaviya order, Qizilbash-Turkman subjects and Alevis.
Danila Filippovich
Danila Filippovich
Who
Danila Filippovich
When
1700
Notability
He believed that he was God and started the Khlysts. (There are various transliterations of his name including Danila Filipov, Danila Filipich, and Daniil Filippovich.)
Kondratii Selivanov
Kondratii Selivanov
Who
Kondratii Selivanov
When
1780s
Notability
Kondraty Selivanov proclaimed himself both as the late Peter III of Russia and Christ himself, and started the Skoptsy.
Hong Xiuquan
Hong Xiuquan
Who
Hong Xiuquan
When
19th century
Notability
Chinese man who claimed he was the younger brother of Jesus, and thus a son of God. Led the Taiping Rebellion, conquering a large part of China before defeat and suicide.[citation needed]
Dios Buhawi
Dios Buhawi
Who
Dios Buhawi
When
~1887
Notability
Philippine shaman who called himself "God Whirlwind."[citation needed]
Father Divine
Father Divine
Who
Father Divine
When
~20th century
Notability
His followers considered him God in the flesh.
Taher Saifuddin
Taher Saifuddin
Who
Taher Saifuddin
When
20th century
Notability
Claimed to be Ilah'ul-Ard (God on Earth) in Bombay High Court.
Lou de Palingboer
Lou de Palingboer
Who
Lou de Palingboer
When
20th century
Notability
A divorced Dutchman named Louwrens Voorthuijzen who proclaimed himself "Lou the Eel Vendor", this being the translation of his proclaimed name "Lou de Palingboer". He was a figure who mixed marketing European eels with proselytism. His followers also considered him a living God on a mission against evil.
Jehovah Wanyonyi
Jehovah Wanyonyi
Who
Jehovah Wanyonyi
When
21st century
Notability
"I am the one who created Adam and Eve. I made their bodies and their blood", [...] "I still use human beings by speaking through them, like I spoke through Jesus Christ until he went to Heaven." There are between 120 and 1000 followers who consider him to be God.
Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Who
Sathya Sai Baba
When
20th century
Notability
Hindu guru that followers believed was a reincarnation of an avatar of Dattatreya. He alleged that he had the ability to heal, raise the dead, appear in more than one location at the same time, materialize objects, such as jewellery, etc.[citation needed]
Yahweh ben Yahweh
Yahweh ben Yahweh
Who
Yahweh ben Yahweh
When
20th century
Notability
He was born as Hulon Mitchell, Jr. and his self-proclaimed name means "God, Son of God." He could have only been deeming himself son of God, not God, but many of his followers clearly consider him God Incarnate.
Mitsuo Matayoshi
Mitsuo Matayoshi
Who
Mitsuo Matayoshi
When
20th century
Notability
In 1997 he established the World Economic Community Party (世界経済共同体党) based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ.
Meher Baba
Meher Baba
Who
Meher Baba
When
~1930
Notability
An Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, God in human form.
Mita
Mita
Who
Mita
When
~1940
Notability
According to the Mita faith, Mita (Peraza) was the incarnation of the Holy Ghost on earth.
Jim Jones
Jim Jones
Who
Jim Jones
When
1955
Notability
Founder of Peoples Temple, which started off as a part of a mainstream Protestant denomination before becoming a personality cult as time went on. One of Jones's devotees claimed that Jones said "If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior. If you see me as your God, I'll be your God"; however Jones also described himself as atheist.
Vissarion
Vissarion
Who
Vissarion
When
1961
Notability
Claims to be Jesus Christ returned, which, he says, makes him not "God" but the "word of God".[citation needed]
François Duvalier
François Duvalier
Who
François Duvalier
When
1960s–1970s
Notability
Haitian Dictator claimed that he was the physical embodiment of the island nation. Duvalier deliberately modeled his image on that of Baron Samedi, one of the lwa, or spirits, of Haitian Vodou. He often donned sunglasses in order to hide his eyes and talked with the strong nasal tone associated with the lwa. The regime's propaganda stated that "Papa Doc was one with the lwa, Jesus Christ and God himself". The most celebrated image from the time shows a standing Jesus Christ with a hand on the shoulder of a seated Papa Doc, captioned, "I have chosen him". Duvalier declared himself an "immaterial being" as well as "the Haitian flag" soon after his first election. In 1964, he published a catechism in which the Lord's Prayer was reworded to pay tribute to Duvalier instead of God.
Nirmala Srivastava
Nirmala Srivastava
Who
Nirmala Srivastava
When
1970
Notability
Guru and goddess of Sahaja Yoga, has proclaimed herself the incarnation of the Holy Ghost (Adi Shakti), claimed that all other incarnations (e.g., Krishna, Christ, etc.) were aspects of her.
Francisco Macías Nguema
Francisco Macías Nguema
Who
Francisco Macías Nguema
When
1970s
Notability
His party used the slogan, (officially decreed by him in 1974): "There is no other God than Macias". Catholic clergy were also required to preach that "God created Equatorial Guinea thanks to Macias."
Apollo Quiboloy
Apollo Quiboloy
Who
Apollo Quiboloy
When
1985
Notability
Calls himself as the "Appointed Son of God" in his own Restorationist church called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Ayah Pin
Ayah Pin
Who
Ayah Pin
When
1980's-2010's
Notability
Founder of the Sky Kingdom cult, he claimed to have direct contact with the heavens. Claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus, The Buddha, Shiva, and prophet Muhammad, he was regarded as the king of the sky and the supreme object of devotion for all religions. His teachings attract followers ranging from approximately 23 to 22,800 individuals.
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony
Who
Joseph Kony
When
1987
Notability
Proclaims himself the spokesperson of God and a spirit medium, and has been considered by some as a cult of personality, and claims he is visited by a multinational host of 13 spirits, including a Chinese phantom.
Ryuho Okawa
Ryuho Okawa
Who
Ryuho Okawa
When
1986
Notability
Founder of Happy Science, worshipped by his followers as 'El Cantare' and a reincarnation of Elohim, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Buddha.
Amy Carlson
Amy Carlson
Who
Amy Carlson
When
c. 2006 – 2021
Notability
Founder of Love Has Won. Proclaimed herself to be God, as well as Jesus, several secular historical figures, St. Joan of Arc, and the Indigenous Hawaiian goddess Pele. Followers call her "Momma God" and were found to have mummified her in order to continue to worship her.[citation needed]
| Who | Image | When | Notability |
| Naram-Sin | | 2255–2119 BCE | The first Mesopotamian king to claim divinity. He marked himself with the dingir symbol, a determinative for a divinity. After him, his son Shar-Kali-Sharri and then later Mesopotamian Kings would carry the tradition onwards. These kings included Shulgi, Amar-Sin, Shu-Sîn, and Ibbi-Sîn of the Third Dynasty of Ur; Shu-Ilishu, Iddin-Dagan, Ishme-Dagan, Lipit-Ishtar, Ur-Ninurta, Būr-Sîn, Lipit-Enlil, Erra-imitti, Enlil-bani, Zambiya, Iter-pûsha, Ur-dukuga, Sîn-magir, Damiq-ilishu of the Isin dynasty; and Rim-Sîn I and Rim-Sîn II of the Larsa dynasty. |
| Shulgi | Portraits of Shulgi from his Nuska seal. | 2037–2028 BCE | Brought back self-deification during the Ur III Period. |
| Amar-Sin | | 2046–2037 BCE | Succeeded Shulgi |
| Shu-Sin | Seal of Shu-Sin: "Shu-sin, the Great King, King of Ur, King of the four world quarters..." | 2037–2028 BCE | Built Temples for himself. |
| Empedocles of Acragas | | c. 490 – c. 430 BCE | Empedocles of Acragas was a Pre-Socratic philosopher from the island of Sicily, who, in one of his surviving poems, declares himself to have become a "divine being... no longer mortal", followed by descriptions of him performing activities normally reserved for the gods. The later historian Diogenes Laërtius claimed that Empedocles committed suicide by jumping into Mount Etna in order to persuade people that he was an immortal god, a legend which is also alluded to by the Roman poet Horace. |
| Pharnavaz I of Iberia | | 326–234 BCE | Iberian king (r. 299–234 BCE) |
| Antiochus IV Epiphanes | | 215–164 BCE | Seleucid ruler (r. 175–164); the only Seleucid king to claim divine honors, calling himself Theos Epiphaneus "God Manifest" and Nikephoros "Bringer of Victory." Nearly conquered Ptolemaic Egypt, the primary rival of the Seleucids among the Diadochi states. Famously attempted to impose ancient Greek religion on the Jews by persecution, leading to the Maccabean Revolt; remembered as a major persecutor in Jewish tradition. |
| Antiochus I | | c. 86 BCE–38 BCE | King of Commagene who instituted a cult for himself and several syncretistic Graeco-Persian deities at Mount Nemrud and elsewhere. |
| Simon Magus | | 1st–4th century | Considered a god in Simonianism. According to Irenaeus, he "was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word, as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever title men were pleased to address him." |
| Veleda | | 1st century | Germanic prophetess considered a deity during her lifetime.[citation needed] |
| Ismail I | | 16th century | Self-claimed to be an emanation of God and was considered such by the Kızılbaş-Safaviya order, Qizilbash-Turkman subjects and Alevis. |
| Danila Filippovich | 1700 | He believed that he was God and started the Khlysts. (There are various transliterations of his name including Danila Filipov, Danila Filipich, and Daniil Filippovich.) | |
| Kondratii Selivanov | | 1780s | Kondraty Selivanov proclaimed himself both as the late Peter III of Russia and Christ himself, and started the Skoptsy. |
| Hong Xiuquan | | 19th century | Chinese man who claimed he was the younger brother of Jesus, and thus a son of God. Led the Taiping Rebellion, conquering a large part of China before defeat and suicide.[citation needed] |
| Dios Buhawi | ~1887 | Philippine shaman who called himself "God Whirlwind."[citation needed] | |
| Father Divine | | ~20th century | His followers considered him God in the flesh. |
| Taher Saifuddin | | 20th century | Claimed to be Ilah'ul-Ard (God on Earth) in Bombay High Court. |
| Lou de Palingboer | | 20th century | A divorced Dutchman named Louwrens Voorthuijzen who proclaimed himself "Lou the Eel Vendor", this being the translation of his proclaimed name "Lou de Palingboer". He was a figure who mixed marketing European eels with proselytism. His followers also considered him a living God on a mission against evil. |
| Jehovah Wanyonyi | 21st century | "I am the one who created Adam and Eve. I made their bodies and their blood", [...] "I still use human beings by speaking through them, like I spoke through Jesus Christ until he went to Heaven." There are between 120 and 1000 followers who consider him to be God. | |
| Sathya Sai Baba | | 20th century | Hindu guru that followers believed was a reincarnation of an avatar of Dattatreya. He alleged that he had the ability to heal, raise the dead, appear in more than one location at the same time, materialize objects, such as jewellery, etc.[citation needed] |
| Yahweh ben Yahweh | 20th century | He was born as Hulon Mitchell, Jr. and his self-proclaimed name means "God, Son of God." He could have only been deeming himself son of God, not God, but many of his followers clearly consider him God Incarnate. | |
| Mitsuo Matayoshi | | 20th century | In 1997 he established the World Economic Community Party (世界経済共同体党) based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ. |
| Meher Baba | | ~1930 | An Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, God in human form. |
| Mita | | ~1940 | According to the Mita faith, Mita (Peraza) was the incarnation of the Holy Ghost on earth. |
| Jim Jones | | 1955 | Founder of Peoples Temple, which started off as a part of a mainstream Protestant denomination before becoming a personality cult as time went on. One of Jones's devotees claimed that Jones said "If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior. If you see me as your God, I'll be your God"; however Jones also described himself as atheist. |
| Vissarion | | 1961 | Claims to be Jesus Christ returned, which, he says, makes him not "God" but the "word of God".[citation needed] |
| François Duvalier | | 1960s–1970s | Haitian Dictator claimed that he was the physical embodiment of the island nation. Duvalier deliberately modeled his image on that of Baron Samedi, one of the lwa, or spirits, of Haitian Vodou. He often donned sunglasses in order to hide his eyes and talked with the strong nasal tone associated with the lwa. The regime's propaganda stated that "Papa Doc was one with the lwa, Jesus Christ and God himself". The most celebrated image from the time shows a standing Jesus Christ with a hand on the shoulder of a seated Papa Doc, captioned, "I have chosen him". Duvalier declared himself an "immaterial being" as well as "the Haitian flag" soon after his first election. In 1964, he published a catechism in which the Lord's Prayer was reworded to pay tribute to Duvalier instead of God. |
| Nirmala Srivastava | | 1970 | Guru and goddess of Sahaja Yoga, has proclaimed herself the incarnation of the Holy Ghost (Adi Shakti), claimed that all other incarnations (e.g., Krishna, Christ, etc.) were aspects of her. |
| Francisco Macías Nguema | | 1970s | His party used the slogan, (officially decreed by him in 1974): "There is no other God than Macias". Catholic clergy were also required to preach that "God created Equatorial Guinea thanks to Macias." |
| Apollo Quiboloy | | 1985 | Calls himself as the "Appointed Son of God" in his own Restorationist church called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. |
| Ayah Pin | | 1980's-2010's | Founder of the Sky Kingdom cult, he claimed to have direct contact with the heavens. Claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus, The Buddha, Shiva, and prophet Muhammad, he was regarded as the king of the sky and the supreme object of devotion for all religions. His teachings attract followers ranging from approximately 23 to 22,800 individuals. |
| Joseph Kony | 1987 | Proclaims himself the spokesperson of God and a spirit medium, and has been considered by some as a cult of personality, and claims he is visited by a multinational host of 13 spirits, including a Chinese phantom. | |
| Ryuho Okawa | | 1986 | Founder of Happy Science, worshipped by his followers as 'El Cantare' and a reincarnation of Elohim, Odin, Thoth, Osiris, and Buddha. |
| Amy Carlson | c. 2006 – 2021 | Founder of Love Has Won. Proclaimed herself to be God, as well as Jesus, several secular historical figures, St. Joan of Arc, and the Indigenous Hawaiian goddess Pele. Followers call her "Momma God" and were found to have mummified her in order to continue to worship her.[citation needed] |
· Controversial deification
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus of Nazareth
Who
Jesus of Nazareth
When
Early Christianity–present
Notability
Further information: History of early Christianity and Divinity of Jesus
There is debate whether Jesus claimed to be divine, or whether divinity was attributed to him progressively by his followers. According to Bart D. Ehrman Jesus did not make public claims of divinity. In the first three centuries of the Christian movement, Jesus' identity and relation to God were often subjects of debate and controversy, and the belief among Christians that Jesus was not divine was common. Even early Christians who believed that Jesus was God often meant different things by it. During one such controversy, the First Council of Nicaea of 325 AD crystallized the notion in the Nicene Creed that Jesus was God Incarnate, and he is now considered divine in most Christian views of Jesus.
| Who | Image | When | Notability |
| Jesus of Nazareth | | Early Christianity–present | Further information: History of early Christianity and Divinity of Jesus There is debate whether Jesus claimed to be divine, or whether divinity was attributed to him progressively by his followers. According to Bart D. Ehrman Jesus did not make public claims of divinity. In the first three centuries of the Christian movement, Jesus' identity and relation to God were often subjects of debate and controversy, and the belief among Christians that Jesus was not divine was common. Even early Christians who believed that Jesus was God often meant different things by it. During one such controversy, the First Council of Nicaea of 325 AD crystallized the notion in the Nicene Creed that Jesus was God Incarnate, and he is now considered divine in most Christian views of Jesus. |
References
- "The rulers of Egypt, first the kings and later the pharaohs, were gods as well as men who ruled by divine right. Each k
- Encyclopedia of World Religionshttps://archive.org/details/isbn_9780877790440
- Hirohito denied being himself a living god, but the mythical ancestry is still the foundation of the Shinto worship, inchttps://www.kunaicho.go.jp/kunaicho/koho/kohyo/pdf/syogishiki-j-e.pdf
- Hirohito's 1945 Declaration in Japanese and English: "The ties between Us and Our people have always stood upon mutual thttp://www.chukai.ne.jp/~masago/ningen.html
- Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900–1800. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674012127.
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