Prophets & Religious Figures

Ancient era

Judas Maccabeus

c. 500 BCE – 160 BCE

2nd century BCE Jewish priest and leader of Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids

Ancient era

Shammai

50 BCE – 30 CE

Jewish scholar and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah (50 BCE-30 CE)

Ancient era

Yohanan ben Zakkai

c. 50 BCE – c. 70 CE

1st-century rabbi and an important Jewish sage

Ancient era

Rabbi Akiva

50 CE – September 28, 135 CE

Jewish scholar and sage (c. 50 – c.135)

Ancient era

Judah ha-Nasi

135 CE – 219 CE

2nd century rabbi and editor of the Mishnah

Ancient era

Philo of Alexandria

15 BCE – 45 CE

Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria (c. 20 BCE-c. 50 CE)

Ancient era

Origen

185 CE – 254 CE

Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian (c. 185 – c. 253)

Ancient era

Clement of Alexandria

150 CE – 215 CE

Christian theologian (c.150 – c.215)

Ancient era

Athanasius of Alexandria

296 CE – May 2, 373 CE

Pope of Alexandria from 328 to 373 (296–373)

Ancient era

Cyril of Alexandria

376 CE – June 27, 444 CE

Patriarchate of Alexandria from 412 to 444

Ancient era

Anthony the Great

251 CE – 357 CE

Egyptian Christian monk, hermit, and saint (died 356)

Ancient era

Pachomius

292 CE – May 9, 348 CE

Egyptian saint

Ancient era

Simeon Stylites

389 CE – September 2, 459 CE

Christian ascetic saint

Ancient era

Ephrem the Syrian

306 CE – June 9, 373 CE

Syriac saint, theologian and writer (c. 306 – 373)

Ancient era

John Chrysostom

349 CE – September 14, 407 CE

Church father, Archbishop of Constantinople and Christian saint (c. 347–407)

Eusebius

d. 310 CE

Catholic pope and saint

Ancient era

Tertullian

150 CE – 220 CE

Roman Christian theologian and writer (c. 155 – c. 220)

Medieval era

Cyprian

c. 1150 – October 25, 1207

Bishop of Lebus and Wrocław (died 1207)

Ancient era

Abba Arikha

160 CE – 247 CE

Jewish Babylonian scholar (175–247)

Ancient era

Rav Ashi

352 CE – 427 CE

Babylonian rabbi

Ancient era

Nestorius

381 CE – 451 CE

Christian theologian (c. 386–c. 451)

Ancient era

Romanos the Melodist

490 CE – 556 CE

Greek hymnographer

Modern era

Chattampi Swamikal

August 25, 1853 – May 5, 1924

Indian spiritual leader and social reformer

Modern era

Sister Nivedita

October 28, 1867 – October 13, 1911

Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda

Modern era

C. F. Andrews

February 12, 1871 – April 5, 1940

Christian missionary in India, close friend of Mahatma Gandhi

Modern era

Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera

January 20, 1827 – April 29, 1911

Monk (1827–1911)

Modern era

Jamal al-Din al-Afghani

1838 – March 9, 1897

Political activist and Islamic ideologist (1838–1897)

Mary Magdalene

d. c. 100 CE

Follower of Jesus (–100)

Ancient era

Thomas the Apostle

c. 1 CE – July 3, 1972 CE

One of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament

Ancient era

Jerome

345 CE – September 30, 420 CE

4th and 5th-century Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint and Doctor of the Church

Medieval era

Gregory the Great

540 CE – March 12, 604 CE

6th-century Roman Pope, theologian and Church Father, Catholic and Orthodox saint, 64th Bishop of Rome and Doctor of the Church

Ancient era

Benedict of Nursia

March 3, 480 CE – March 23, 547 CE

Founder of Christian monasticism, founder of the Benedictine order (480–547)

Ancient era

Saint Patrick

385 CE – March 17, 461 CE

5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland

Medieval era

Bernard of Clairvaux

1090 – August 20, 1153

Burgundian saint, abbot and theologian (1090–1153)

Medieval era

Catherine of Siena

March 25, 1347 – April 29, 1380

Italian Dominican saint (1347-1380)

Medieval era

Thomas a Kempis

1380 – July 25, 1471

German canon regular

Medieval era

John Wycliffe

c. 1320 – December 31, 1384

English theologian and dissident in the Roman Catholic Church

Medieval era

Jan Hus

1369 – July 6, 1415

Czech theologian, philosopher and preacher (1369-1415)

Medieval era

William Tyndale

1494 – October 6, 1536

English Bible translator and reformer

Medieval era

Ulrich Zwingli

January 1, 1484 – October 11, 1531

Protestant Reformation leader in Switzerland, Swiss Reformed Church founder (1484-1531)

Early Modern era

John Knox

1514 – November 24, 1572

Scottish clergyman, writer and historian (1514–1572)

Modern era

Charles Spurgeon

June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892

British preacher, author, pastor and evangelist (1834-1892)

Modern era

Brigham Young

June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877

American religious leader, second president of the LDS Church, and governor of Utah Territory (1801–1877)

Modern era

Pope Benedict XVI

April 16, 1927 – December 31, 2022

265 th pope of the Catholic Church (2005–2013)

Modern era

Oscar Romero

August 15, 1917 – March 24, 1980

Fourth archbishop of San Salvador (1917–1980)

Modern era

Padre Pio

May 25, 1887 – September 30, 1968

Italian saint, priest, stigmatist and mystic

Early Modern era

Francis Xavier

April 7, 1506 – December 3, 1552

Spanish Catholic saint and missionary (1506–1552)

Medieval era

Husayn ibn Ali

January 9, 626 CE – October 10, 680 CE

Grandson of Muhammad and the 3rd Shia Imam (626–680)

Medieval era

Rabia al-Adawiyya

c. 710 CE – 801 CE

Iraqi sufi and poet

Ancient era

Hillel the Elder

50 BCE – 8 CE

Jewish religious leader of the 1st century

Medieval era

Rashi

1040 – July 13, 1105

French rabbi and commentator (1040–1105)

Early Modern era

Baal Shem Tov

August 27, 1698 – May 21, 1760

Polish founder of Hasidic Judaism (1698–1760)

Ancient era

Bodhidharma

483 CE – 540 CE

Indian-Chinese philosopher and Buddhist Monk

Medieval era

Xuanzang

602 CE – 664 CE

7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar (602–664)

Medieval era

Pope Urban II

1035 – July 29, 1099

11th century pope and initiator of the Crusades

Medieval era

Peter Abelard

1079 – April 21, 1142

French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician (c.1079-1142)

Medieval era

Thomas Becket

December 21, 1119 – December 29, 1170

English archbishop and martyr, 1119/1120–1170

Medieval era

Thomas Wolsey

1473 – November 29, 1530

English political figure, archbishop of York and cardinal-priest of Santa Cecilia (1473-1530)

Medieval era

Girolamo Savonarola

September 21, 1452 – May 23, 1498

Italian Dominican friar and preacher (1452-1498)

Early Modern era

Talleyrand

February 2, 1754 – May 17, 1839

French diplomat (1754-1838)