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Throughout history several people and groups of people have proclaimed themselves to be deities, and this list reflects those that are known. This list includes people whose historical existence is not certain.
A deity (from Latin, deus, "god"), or a god, is a postulated supernatural entity, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, held in high regard, or respected by humans.
In several major non-Abrahamic religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism, personal divinity is not perceived as bizzare or implausible because these religions sustain a different understanding of the concept of God than it is normaly associated within societies in which Christianity, Judaism or Islam are predominant.
Disclaimer: Given that these religious combined represent a very large number of people, note that this article reflects a Western bias, as per the methology used for inclusion.
| Who | When | What |
| Alexander the Great | 356 BCE - 323 BCE | Used the title "Son of Ammon-Zeus," bestowed upon him by Egyptian priests of the god Ammon at the Oracle of the god at the Siwah oasis in the Libyan Desert |
| Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah | 985 - Unknown | Later mainstream Islamic doctrine alleges he encouraged his own deification as Allah |
| * Anton LaVey | April 11, 1930 - October 29, 1997 | Founded the Church of Satan, which believes each individual satanist can be his or her own god and is responsible for his or her own destiny. |
| † Aradia de Toscano | August 13, 1313 - Unknown | Foundress of Stregheria, believed due to a vision that she was the human incarnation of the goddess Aradia, and thus the (spiritual) daughter of Lucifer and Diana. |
| Beltway Snipers | Occurred October 2002 | Wrote on tarot cards, "Dear Policeman, I am God. Do not tell the media about this." Template:Fn |
| Caligula | August 31, 12 - January 24, 41 | Possibly due to encephalitis, claimed he was a "god". |
| * Charles Manson | November 12, 1934 - Present | Manson implied to his followers that he was Jesus. When asked directly in court he replied "I may be Jesus Christ. I have not yet decided who I am." |
| David Icke | April 29, 1952 - Present | On the Terry Wogan show, claimed to be "a son of the Godhead," along with predicting Britain would be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes. |
| * David Koresh | August 17, 1959 - April 19, 1993 | Taught his followers that he was "the Lamb" in the Book of Revelation. |
| † Egyptian Pharaohs | c. 3050 BCE - c. 30 BCE | Had godly status. See List of Pharaohs. |
| Father Divine | c. 1880 - September 10, 1965 | Claimed to be the only true manifestation of God with such quotes as "I am the Eternal Father!" |
| Hong Xiuquan | January 10, 1812 - June 1, 1864 | Claimed to be the second son of God, brother to Jesus Christ. |
| Jehovah Wanyoni | ? - ? | Reports that his divinity and birth is, "as is explained in the Bible." Template:Fn |
| † Jesus | c. 6-4 BCE to c. 29-33 CE | According to the Christian interpretation of words ascribed to him in the Gospels, believed he was the son of God. See also: Historicity of Jesus. |
| * Jim Jones | May 13, 1931 - November 18, 1978 | Claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Akhenaten, Buddha, Lenin, and Father Divine. Template:Fn (see Jonestown). |
| L. Ron Hubbard | March 13, 1911 - January 24, 1986 | Claimed to be both God and Satan. Note that his followers generally do not believe him to be divine. |
| * Lu Sheng-yen | 1945 - Present | Claims to be a "Living Buddha". |
| * Sathya Sai Baba | 1926 or 1929 - Present | "I AM GOD, but I do not have to know I am God, for I have always been that." Template:Fn |
| * = Individuals who had significant numbers of followers believing them to be deities.
† = Individuals who became the focus of whole religions with many followers believing the individual to be divine or messianic. |
See also
- Apotheosis means glorification, usually to a divine level, coming from the Greek word apotheoun, "to deify."
- Arahitogami is a Japanese word, meaning a god who is a human being.
- List of deities
- List of messiah claimants
- Avatar
References
- Template:Fnb CNN (Oct. 10, 2002). "Man killed at suburban D.C. gas station. Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb BBC News (November 12, 2001). "Kenyan 'God' sent Aids as 'punishment'". Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb Hanish, Dennis J. (May 23, 2001). The Guru Who Claimed to be God. Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb Idara Dawat-o-Irshad, USA, Inc. (2003). "Attention Qadianis! (Ahmadiyya)". Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb . ISBN 0195123700.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Title=ignored (|title=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Year=ignored (|year=suggested) (help) (meta-citation) - Old Dotty Clutteredbucket (2001). Walking, Talking, Living Gods. Retrieved December 29, 2004.